Healing circle honors 3 men killed in tragic Chicago hit-and-run outside South Side gay bar
27-year-old Devonta Vivetter, 25-year-old Donald Huey and 23-year-old Jaylen Ausley were killed, police say
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A healing circle honored the lives of three young men killed in a tragic hit-and-run last weekend.
Sunday marks one week since the horrific crash outside the Jeffrey Pub in the 7000-block of South Jeffery Boulevard in the South Shore neighborhood.
"Tragically, yes, lives were lost but to not let their lives be forgotten," said one of the speakers at the event.
The day was about bringing together people to ground themselves in love as the families, along with LGBTQ+ advocates, fight for justice.
It's just not over. It's just a sad, sad thing," said Wanda B.
Bright colors adorned Wanda B, who somberly stood in support with activists like her who have long fought for LGBTQ right for decades.
18 I've been doing it for 40 years and I'll do it as long as I got breath in my body. I will fight for equality," she said.
RELATED: South Shore hit-and-run that killed 3 outside Jeffrey Pub was intentional, CPD says
A rainbow flag somberly flew along Rainbow Field House as three wooden hearts stood bearing the names of the three lives lost a week ago.
The three victims were identified as 25-year-old Donald Huey, 27-year-old Devonta Vivetter and 23-year-old Jaylen Ausley, who was a recent University of Michigan graduate.
"I'm devastated. I want justice for my son Donald and the other families," said Huey's mother, Charlita Riley.
RELATED: Only survivor of South Shore hit-and-run that killed 3 outside Jeffrey Pub speaks out
"He was a perfect example of someone in our community and what people should set out to be," added Ausley's cousin, Curtis Henderson.
The three lives were taken by the driver of a speeding car outside the popular South Side gay bar, the Jeffery Pub, Chicago police said.
The pub is one of the longest-serving Black gay bars in America and the National Black Justice Coalition is calling for the incident to be investigated as a hate crime.
However, police said, as of now, they don't have the evidence to support that.
"I want them to investigate. I don't want them to blow this off. I don't want them to think of us as just somebody that fight all the time and we deserve this or any of that. We should be treated like everybody else: Human beings," Wanda B said.
RELATED: Disturbing video shows moment several struck in deadly Chicago hit-and-run
Now, activist asking the city to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
"As we stand here, still fighting for our rights to be who we are and love who we are," said Dawn Valenti. "That's the only thing that makes us different from anybody else's. We choose to love somebody that looks like us. So I just ask you all to please stand together."
So far police have not said if anyone is in custody or what transpired inside the bar that possibly could have led to the fight before the crash.
