Harrisburg police said an argument broke out between 36-year-old John Carter and several people after he left a store Saturday afternoon. Carter was killed after a bullet hit his lung. He was taken to Penn State Hershey Medical Center where he later passed away.
Police said Carter had a criminal past but was trying to turn his life around.
Hank Johnson, a pastor for the Harrisburg Brethren in Christ Church, said, "On a personal level you just ache you know it's another brother who is gone too soon, it's another victim of violence that we again as a city have to grieve."
Johnson hoped the victim wasn't someone he knew. Then he heard it was Chief Carter's nephew.
"My first thought would probably be that wow this thing does hit everyone. I think that Chief Carter has been great. I think it's been documented how some of these cases he's been able to talk people down, and I think that he's definitely Harrisburg through and through."
Brian Cobb, the director of the Youth Advocate Program in Harrisburg, knows Chief Carter personally. He said, "I felt really bad. If it was anybody's nephew you'd feel bad, but somebody that you know and it's their nephew and it happens to be the police chief: one you know he wants to catch the culprits, two I hope they turn themselves in."
The building Cobb works out of is located close to where Carter was shot. Cobb said, "I was surprised that it was this close. We normally don't have this kind of activity here. One would say yeah right but no we haven't it's been kind of quiet on this street right here."
The organization Johnson is a part of, Heeding God's Call to End Gun Violence, honors victims who are killed by gun violence, and they plan to honor Carter.
Johnson said, "We're committed to going to the spot of the shooting - going to the spot of the shooting to not only honor the victims but to grieve together, to give families a chance to hear that we have people in this city who feel your pain and who hear your pain and who want to be there for you as best as we can."
The vigil for Carter will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday near the location where he was shot.