Hundreds gather during candlelight vigil for Gannon Stauch
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Hundreds of people gathered in a empty field in Lorson Ranch to pray and sing in honor of Gannon Stauch, who has now been missing for 12 days.
Adam Pastor says he came to show his support and keep the Stauch family's hope alive.
"I can't really imagine what they're going through," Pastor said. "But just to come out here and show support for them is probably the most important thing."
El Paso County Sheriff's Office continues investigating the case of the 11-year-old boy who is now considered missing and endangered due to his age and the worsening weather. The agency is working closely with the FBI to vet possible tips and locate Gannon.
"He's a great kid," said Josh Goodwin about Gannon. "He's funny. He and his sister both are just very sweet kids. Very well mannered and just a pleasure to be around. They're always welcome at our house."
Goodwin is a neighbor of the Stauch family. He says he was surprised by the large crowd of people gathering for this cause.
"As time passes things plateau, but it's more about letting [the Stauch family] that everyone is behind them," Goodwin said.
Residents throughout El Paso County were united as they sang hymns and lit their candles throughout the night. People of all ages listened as speakers shared their memories of Gannon and extended their hearts to his family.
"If it were my little child, I would want everyone to hold onto that hope," said Kathy Villafan. "So it's hard to see another mom go through that. It's easy to think of the unthinkable, but we pray every day."
The event started at 5 p.m. and lasted about an hour with people still arriving for the last few minutes of the vigil.
Axisa Chavez, who helped organize the vigil, says she was happy with how many people united for this cause.
"It was beyond touching my heart," Chavez said. "To see them physically come out here in the cold to support a family that many of us don't know personally, it was just really encouraging to know that there are still a lot of good people out here."
