SUNNYSIDE, Wash.- Five days after the deaths of Maurice and Isaak Hernandez, the Sunnyside community is coming together to support the family in their time of a need.
A candlelight vigil honored the brothers on February 21, after police say they were shot and killed outside the Grizzly Market on February 16.
“This tragedy is really heartbreaking,” said vigil organizer Chelsea Dimas. “We shouldn’t be waking up to this kind of news.”
Dozens of community members gathered at the Centennial Square to hold a candle and share memories and thoughts with the family.
Many attendees say they don’t know the Hernandez family but came to support their neighbors.
“When you grow up in a community, how close we are in Sunnyside, and most of us were born and raised here, and we see this happen, it’s very upsetting,” said Sunnyside resident Sandra Zesati.
Some that knew the Hernandez’s shared their stories of the brothers, including Cody Driscoll who was Maurice’s former teacher.
“I watched as both of them grew around me,” says Driscoll. “It just reminds us to hold on to the people we have and hold the loved ones we have around us a little bit tighter.”
A Hernandez family member in attendance asked not to be quoted but did tell the group that the immediate family is struggling, but seeing the support from the community means a lot to them.
