The Copley community got together Tuesday night to remember an event a year ago that changed their lives.

Hundreds returned to Copley Community Park a year after seven people were killed in a Sunday morning rampage.

Like last year, Pastor Jeff Bogue of Grace Church was leading friends, family and community members in remembering those who are no longer with us.

"I know that I can say on behalf of the family members that they're grateful you're here," Pastor Bogue told the crowd, "and grateful that you remember those that were lost, and they feel your love and prayer and support, and appreciate all that you're doing."

Autumn Johnson's aunt, Lisa Boggs, says the Johnson family has had to deal with another tragic death recently...but the family has grown closer.

"Autumn's mom had to bury her twin sister a year after she let go of her daughter," Boggs explains to AkronNewsNow.com. "But, the blessing in it all is that I have a sister. I've had a sister for a week, but it feels like I've had her for a lifetime."

The tragedy affected the friends and classmates of Autumn Johnson and Amelia Shambaugh, who both attended Copley High School.

Dawson Mancabelli, who was in Amelia's history class, recalls how she brought joy and laughter to every situation.

"We had this really old history teacher and he would call her Amy and she never liked that, so she would tell him 'My name's Amelia,' Dawson said with a laugh.

"She was a really cool person, and she had a bubbly personality."

Dawson said that personality was missing from the hallways this past school year.

A young man named Daiga says Amelia made an impression on everyone, including himself.

"She was the nicest and sweetest person I had ever met in my life," he said.

A couple young ladies in attendance recalled how Autumn Johnson was starting to overcome some personal issues before her life was cut short.

"I ask myself why did this have to happen to her," said Amy Nieman.

"She had been going through a lot of issues and she finally became herself again just before she died."

Those who remember Autumn and Amelia the most say that the events of Tuesday night gave people a chance to remember their lives, instead of mourning their deaths.

One woman accompanied Rebecca Dieter, the lone survivor of the rampage, and said that she was supporting her friend...and the other families who lost loved ones.

"We're here to support not only Becky, but the other people who lost loved ones, and it's been tough on all of us," she explained.

The events of August 7, 2011 would certainly stick in anyone's mind, but Copley Township police Officer Ben Campbell - who fired the final shot that ended the rampage - says "time is his friend" in moving on from those moments.

"The first couple of months it was always in my head, and something that I thought about a lot and replayed a lot," Officer Campbell explained to AkronNewsNow.com, "but with each month and week since then, I think about it less and less."

Campbell says he's gotten support from not only his department and other officers, but from the Copley community.

Tim Lenehan says the already close knit Copley community has shown a lot of solidarity in the past year, despite the tremendous losses experienced one year ago.

"People aren't strangers anymore," he said.

Seven purple balloons were released in honor of the shooting victims...and then hundreds of yellow balloons were released into the sky for the community.