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Bacon Memorial Presbyterian Church at 166 59th St., in Niagara Falls will hold a Candlelight Prayer Vigil at 6 p.m. today on the lawn of the Church in memory of Chianti Means and her children, Roman Rossman and Mecca Means who are presumed dead after going over Bridal Veil Falls Monday night.
“This is such a heart-breaking moment,” said Lisa Giacomazza, pastor of Bacon Memorial Church. “There is still much that is not known about this tragedy, but we know that the sense of loss is great. We just want to offer a moment for people to start to come together as a community.”
The candlelight vigil will include some brief prayers and words of encouragement. Counselors from the Niagara County Mental Health Office will be on hand for anyone needing to talk.
The church hopes that this will be a chance for people to begin to grieve and to support family, friends, classmates, teachers, and all who have been affected. “We just feel like there needs to be a start, a moment of coming together,” Pastor Giacomazza said. “Coming together in moments like these helps us build connections and community. It’s these connections that give us support and help us find the love we need in our most desperate times.”
The investigation into the deaths in Niagara Falls Monday continues. Means, 33, worked in a domestic violence shelter and had listed a masters degree in social work from the University at Buffalo on her LinkedIn profile. Where she was employed has not been released.
Searchers were out all week looking for bodies. A query to state police about additional bodies found earlier this week was not returned as of press time.
Unconfirmed reports are that two additional bodies were found near the Horseshoe Falls and they may have belonged to TikTok influencers last seen near Table Rock in Canada.
As a policy, State Police as well as State Parks release very little information about suicides at Niagara Falls because to do so might lead to copy cat incidents.
If you’re thinking about suicide or are worried about a friend or loved one, please contact 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline by calling or texting 9-8-8 toll free. The service is available 24/7. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
