Services held for 4 of 6 Kalamazoo shooting victims

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Four of the six victims of a shooting rampage were remembered Saturday at funerals and memorials, a week after they were randomly killed in southwestern Michigan.

Somber gatherings were held in Bridgman, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. Motorcycles joined a procession to a church for Richard Smith and his 17-year-old son, Tyler, who were shot while looking at new cars.

“Rejoice, change the world — that’s what defines the two of them,” the Rev. Paul Fazio told hundreds of people at Calvary Bible Church in Kalamazoo. “We cannot let this define who we are. Both Tyler and Rich would be sad and they would be mad if this tragedy defined us from this point on.”

Jason Dalton, 45, is charged with murder and attempted murder. Police say he shot people outside an apartment building, a restaurant and a car dealership, in between driving people for Uber.

He didn’t know the victims, and a motive has not been disclosed.

In Bridgman, mourners offered condolences to the family of Mary Lou Nye at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Her photo was displayed at the front of the church, surrounded by flowers.

Speakers recalled her love of children — and her famous zucchini bread.

“If she wasn’t rocking an infant in a rocker, she was reading a story to a child in our toddler room,” Barb Ackerman said.

A service honoring Barbara Hawthorne was held Saturday at Battle Creek First Assembly. A service for Mary Jo Nye will be held Sunday in Battle Creek. Dorothy Brown’s private service was on Friday.

Two other people were wounded.