It is doubtful there has been any sort of healing that has happened in this community since Friday’s announcement that a jury in Chautauqua County Court found Ashleyanne Lopez-Lopez innocent in a stabbing case where a 15-year-old Dunkirk girl died. In fact, after the jury came back with its verdict, this community was in shock and disbelief.

Even commenters on social media expressed confusion and anger.

That spring day in Dunkirk was one of the city’s darkest in years after the teenager’s death on Lincoln Avenue. Emotions and tensions also were high after the May 15 incident throughout our community.

Jason Schmidt, the defense attorney for Lopez, spoke somberly after the verdict. “None of this takes anything away from the Brown family’s loss and they and Jefrena were front and center in all of our minds at all times,” he said last week. “It’s just a tragedy. There’s nothing we can say that will change that.”