Photo of Amanda and Marissa Emkens courtesy: Ashley Borey
GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) -- Saturday is the one year anniversary of the shooting rampage that killed seven in Grand Rapids, plus the shooter. As we remember the victims, many of us forget the killings were an act of domestic violence.
The Emkens and Heeren families are still struggling with the trauma. Kylene Dalton-Koons, Program Director at Safe Haven Ministries has been working with the families. In the year that's passed, she says there have been moments of love and healing for the families.
"We've had memorial softball games, park dedications, just in May we had 200 people run on behalf of the victims."
With domestic violence affecting one in four women, Dalton Koons says it's important to not ignore a silent problem.
Dalton-Koons says, "We're working with various partners, police departments, judges, victims service providers. We're just looking how we do respond to victims services, and how can that be better coordinated."
Dalton-Koons says a change in the law would help victims because currently nothing can be done unless there's an act of violence. Until the law is changed, she says it's our job as bystanders to reach out and help.
Some of the previous stories about the shootings