Vigil for Jersey City victims held just blocks away from site of shootout

A vigil was held in the rain for the four victims who were killed in Jersey City on Tuesday.

One of the victims was Douglas Rodriguez, the store clerk at the kosher deli where the shooting happened. He brought his wife and daughter from Ecuador to the United States for a better life.

Rodriguez had a home in Harrison and he and his family attended church at Iglesias Nueva Vida in Newark.

His widow, Martha Freire, says she feels scared because of what happened to her husband.

"It's not unusual to see violence," Freire says. "It's because there's not enough love."

Members of the Jewish community say they consider Rodriguez a hero for shielding a customer from bullets as he ran to safety.

"In his last minutes he didn't see color, he didn't see race," Freire says. "He was trying to protect someone."

The other three victims of the shooting were Mindy Ferencz, Moshe Deutsch and Det. Joseph Seals.

The two suspects were allegedly targeting Jewish people. Investigators say the suspects had interest in the beliefs of a radical group known for anti-Semitism called Black Hebrew Israelites.

People in the area are now pushing against those feelings of hate.

"What I hope will change is that we create a dialogue that tells a story of how much we are more alike rather than how different we are," said Pan Johnson, of Jersey City.
Services for Douglas Rodriguez are set for Saturday in Paterson at 5 p.m.

Those who want to help his family can visit his GoFundMe page.