Kenyan vigil to mourn 147 people killed by terrorists

Following the killing of 147 students of Garissa University in Kenya, Kenyans will gather to remember them as innocent victims of a terrorist attack that stunned a nation and left communities heartbroken.

The attack at a university in Garissa on Thursday killed 147 people, mostly students. The Al-Shabaab militant group claimed responsibility.

Kenyans attending the event at Nairobi's Uhuru Park will write notes honoring the victims and light candles, according to organizers.

As the country mourned the victims, others took to social media to humanize them by sharing their stories. They talked about aspiring lawyers, doctors and teachers.

"I can't even look at pictures of the people killed without crying," said Mary Wambui, 32, who lives in Nakuru, hundreds of miles from Garissa.

"They were just children, they were trying to make a better life for themselves. Some were first to go to college in their communities. They died trying to get an education."

Using the hashtag #147notjustanumber, Kenyans used social media to talk about the lives of the victims. They shared pictures of beaming faces, full of life and energy, in happier days. They talked about parents too shocked to speak after identifying their children's bodies.

"We need to talk about the bright futures cut short," said Boniface Mwangi, who organized the vigil. "Today's meeting will be a calling to say, 'we need to remember the 147, they are not just a number.' We are trying to avoid remembering these people as just a number."

Some students remain unaccounted for, and wailing relatives alternate their searches between hospitals and morgues. Kenyan authorities have not released a list of the names of the victims