The brick walkway in the lovely garden with a stream running nearby catalogs by year since 1976 the name and age of every person who died by violence in New Haven.
Families were joined by politicians, police officials and some activists in reading almost 700 names, including seven that were added just last week.
New Haven educator Marlene Miller Pratt had the vision for a healing garden after her 20-year-old son, Gary Kyshon Miller, was killed in 1998. She worked with other mothers, and supporters, to make it a reality.
"Coming down the Magnitude Walkway you see a list of names," Miller Pratt said. "And we call it the Magnitude Walkway because that’s exactly what we want it to do: we want to magnify your awareness so you know there’s a problem in the city and it’s a problem we need to fight."
Miller Pratt said the people who gathered there comprise the village that will support grieving families and work to end gun violence.