Community invited to Sunday vigil for Barry family

Family and friends of the Duluth family killed in a murder-suicide this week are inviting the community to a public vigil outside their home.

47-year-old Sean Barry, 44-year-old Riana Barry, 12-year-old Shiway Barry, and 9-year-old Sadie Barry are being remembered as a family who loved Christmas and the glow of Christmas lights.

On Sunday evening, their home at 715 East 12th Street will be lit with Christmas lights.

"They want to bring love and light back to the neighborhood after this awful incident that happened," said Kate Van Daele, the city’s Public Information Officer, explaining the family asked police to spread the word that the public is welcome for Sunday’s gathering.

"It’s very Duluth to show up for one another like this…to come together knowing that this was a horrific action and have a positive thing by lighting the house up with Christmas lights because that was their favorite holiday," Van Daele said.

There will be a short program at 8 p.m. Sunday to mark the lighting of the home. Community members will have an opportunity to share stories of the family.

The 700 block of 12th Street will be blocked to traffic beginning at 6 p.m. and police warn that parking in the neighborhood is limited. People who wish to attend may arrive early.

"Certainly it’s been a really difficult week. I think for people to be able to come together in this grief, things like this don’t just don’t happen here. I think when you see the outpouring of love and concern for one another, to have an event like this where people can come together, it is healing in a way and really helps to show not only the Barry family, certainly the family members that are coming into town, how much our community cares about one another, and certainly because of the incident that happened, how we can all come together to heal from this," Van Daele said.

People are also invited to bring new children’s books to the event that will be donated in the family’s honor. The family loved reading books, and there is a "little free library" in front of their home.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page to help family members pay for funeral and travel expenses had raised more than $35,000 as of Friday evening.