Thousands of people join Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay at candlelight vigil for daughter Trinity

Thousands of people joined American Olympian sprinter Tyson Gay at a candlelight vigil on Monday night (17 October) to honour Gay's 15-year-old daughter Trinity Gay, who was fatally shot over the weekend. The vigil took place on the high school track at the Lexington's Lafayette High School where both he and his daughter excelled.

Trinity Gay who was 15-years-old was fatally shot in the neck at a Cook Out restaurant in Lexington on 16 October (early Sunday morning). Gay, standing on the track thanked people for showing support for the girl's death. The teen's mother Shoshana Boyd was also present among the crowd in what was an emotionally charged up atmosphere.

"As parents we do our best to raise our child the best we can. And sometimes things just happen, it's out of control. We only can look up and ask God why. Sometimes we don't get that answer. I just want people to be safe and understand that we all have a life, and we all have dreams and when your fellow peer has a dream, it's our job as brothers and sisters to come together and protect each other", the sprinter said, as quoted by cbsnews.

"I want you guys to love each other, have peace and protect each other. That's what Trinity would have wanted. Life is not a joke", Gay added.

Three men who were charged in connection to the shooting pleaded not guilty on Monday and will have to face the court on 25 October. The three appeared before Fayette County, Kentucky, District Court Judge, T Bruce Bell. Three alleged perpetrators Chazerae Taylor, his son D'Markeo Taylor and Dvonta Middlebrooks were set bail at a certain amount.

According to Lexington Police, MiddleBrooks was in the parking lot of the Cook Out restaurant early on Sunday morning and fired multiple shots during incident where Trinity Gay was shot. According to court records, the Taylors acknowledged firing the shots.