Candlelight vigil in Morningside Park mourns Tessa Majors

NEW YORK - Nearly 1,000 people braved the wind and cold Sunday night to attend a candlelight vigil to remember the life of Tessa Majors, the Barnard College freshman who was brutally murdered on Wednesday.

"I'm just here to unify with the others in the community and look for some healing and to send a message to the family that we are deeply, deeply, deeply saddened and we wish you peace, love and light," said one attendee.

Now, a community desperate for answers is vowing to keep the park safe, so that this never happens again.

"We are working to see about not just additional lighting, not just additional cameras, but that we need officer, foot patrols, walking the park, 24 hours a day," said State Assemblywoman Inez Dickens.

Police say they have arrested a 13-year-old boy who claims that his two friends grabbed Majors, put her in a chokehold and robbed her. The teen said he did not stab Majors, but watched one of his friends slash her with a knife.

The violent incident did not come as a shock to many in the neighborhood, who say that crime has been on the rise.

According to the New York Post, violent crime and sex crimes have spiked an atonishing 82 percent in the neighborhood in the last year alone.