Even so, the killing of the 12-year-old girl, an unintended target hit inside her own home, has seized the village. During the vigil on Sunday, local officials and pastors voiced long-simmering frustrations with gun violence and gangs, and broader problems like a deficit of opportunity and optimism.

“They have to know there is somebody that cares,” the Rev. Joe Brown, the pastor of Faith Baptist Church, told the crowd. “We are here to show that we care!”

“Amen!” the crowd replied.

The vigil was timed between morning and evening services, so congregants at nearby churches, like Mr. Brown’s, could join together. Even as they aired their concerns, the pastors said, they had other reasons for gathering, namely to show support for Dejah’s parents and other relatives.

“We’re all here to stand with this family in their hour,” said Bishop Phillip E. Elliott, the pastor of Antioch. He also summoned Dejah’s parents, who sat behind the lectern throughout the vigil, to appear before the crowd.

“We want the world to see that this is a family that has been touched, that has been treated unfairly by criminals,” Bishop Elliott said.