GREENWOOD, Arkansas — The Greenwood community gathered on Wednesday night to honor the three people killed in a deadly house fire.
18-year-old Isaiah Arrington, 5-year-old Vivian Medrano, and their mother, 46-year-old Wendy Medrano, were killed in the fire, according to the Greenwood Police Department.
Isaiah and Vivian have since been identified as students in the Greenwood Public Schools district, and the community gathered at the football field for a prayer vigil at 8 p.m. on Oct. 30.
"We are heartbroken to share the tragic news of a house fire in the Greenwood community early this morning, which claimed the lives of two beloved Greenwood students," the district said in a Facebook post.
Friends, family mourning after three killed in Greenwood fire
Hundreds showed up to pay their respects and pray for the three who died early Wednesday as a result of the blaze.
At the vigil, speakers asked those who attended to pray for the first responders, the students who lost a classmate, and for the community as a whole.
One student said after hearing the news schools were quiet for the entire day.
Tragedies like this can take a big mental and emotional toll on communities, and 5NEWS spoke to one local mental health professional who said the best thing to do first is talk.
Saige Small is a mental health counselor at the Western Arkansas Counseling and Guidance Center in Fort Smith. She said fellow students should not be ashamed for feeling bad about what happened and to not be afraid to talk about those feelings.
"When we suppress our emotions, it causes us more harm than good," Small said. "Unfortunately, I believe we still live in a society where we do have a strong stigma against mental health, and talking about it allows us to break that stigma."
As for parents, she said not to worry if you don't know what to say to your child to help them.
"Sometimes we don't know what to say, but just being present with a person can make an entire world of difference. When we shut people down, or we try to say, 'it's going to be okay' or we use platitudes such as, 'they're in a better place.' We're not allowing those emotions to be processed," Small said.
Small said that talking with someone is good for your physical and mental health, and to reach out for help if you need it.
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