The Westport community gathered Thursday evening in the first of a series of local ceremonies to mark two years since the Sandy Hook school shootings.

The event was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, and was one of more than 190 being held across the nation as part of the National Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence.

 On Sunday, it will be two years since 20 students and six educators were killed at Sandy Hook. Thursday's vigils honors them, as well as the thousands of other people who have lost their lives to gun violence since then.

Many events will be held across the state over the next few days.