Ottawa honours Newtown shooting victims

CTV Ottawa: Ottawa vigil for Newtown victims CTV Ottawa’s Katie Griffin on the local memorial service to remember the lives lost in Newtown, CT.

26 candles were lit at a memorial honouring 26 victims, including 20 children, who were killed when a gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. Dec. 14.

The memorial held at St. Patrick’s Basilica in downtown Ottawa featured music, poetry and prayers for residents of Newtown.

“We're here to pray for their eternal souls, that they are now with God Almighty in Heaven,” said Father Larry McCormick.

“Sometimes when these tragedies happen, you're helpless,” said Sheila Welsh. “So I felt that to come and to participate and to pray was some small thing I could do.”

The three final victims of the shooting were laid to rest Saturday: 7-year-old Josephine Gay, 6-year-old Emilie Parker and 6-year-old Ana Marquez-Greene, who moved with her family from Winnipeg this past summer.

Hundreds of people in Winnipeg gathered at a local church to watch a live stream of her funeral.

At a news conference Friday, the National Rifle Association said armed guards should be in schools across the United States.

In a new video, celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and Will Ferrell demand a plan to end gun violence.

Since the massacre, some have decided to turn feelings of anger and hate into kindness and hope.

With one single tweet, NBC's Ann Curry inspired a movement. She encouraged her followers to commit 20 acts of kindness to honour each child killed in the shooting. That number was bumped up to 26 to honour the educators killed too.

Now, there are people all over the world who are tweeting about their act of kindness toward a friend or a complete stranger.

With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Katie Griffin