Wednesday marked the 15th anniversary of the mass shooting at Binghamton’s American Civic Association (ACA).
Parveen Ali, Almir Olimpio Alves, Marc and Maria Bernard, Li Guo, Lan Ho, Layla Khalil, Roberta King, Jiang Ling, Hong Xiu “Amy” Mao Marsland, Dolores Yigal, Hai Hong Zhong, and Maria Zobniw were killed by a gunman who attacked the center the morning of April 3, 2009.
The ACA, which offers services to new immigrants and refugees in the community, held a service Wednesday memorializing the 13 victims.
Family members joined faith leaders and elected officials to speak about the impact of the shooting and remember their loved ones.
Dr. Jeffrey King lost his mother, Roberta “Bobbie” King, who was teaching an English language class when the gunman attacked.
King said his mother loved working at the ACA and cared deeply about her community. He said she has missed the birth of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, some of whom are named after her.
“The passage of time has softened the pain and emptiness, but the loss will never be forgotten,” King said. “April 3rd is no longer an ordinary day. It gets circled on our calendars. We reflect on the beautiful person our mother was. We laugh and cry about our many adventures as a big family. She'd be so proud of us and all that we have become.”
Eleven of the 13 victims had resettled in Binghamton from other countries.
ACA Executive Director Hussein Adams said the organization is committed to continuing to support new Americans and the immigrant community in memory of the victims.
“We hope to continue our efforts in becoming a welcoming city that supports those fleeing indiscriminate killings, conflict, violence and war,” Adams said. “Those in search of knowledge, as those 13 victims were here on that day.”
At the time, the shooting was one of the most destructive in American history.
Every year since the shooting, the community has marked the anniversary of the loss, only putting a pause on the services during the peak of COVID-19.
A memorial to the victims, created and planned by family and community members, stands just up the road from the ACA on East Clinton Street.