VANCOUVER Wash. (KPTV) – Trick or Treating at the Vancouver Mall on Thursday took a tragic turn when a shooting broke out in the food court.

Families across Southern Washington say this Halloween didn’t have its usual joy. That’s why two parents came together to give Vancouver’s children a second chance at a Halloween party.

“Healing the community after such a tragic event is important,” said Tara Chrest, a Battle Ground mom who almost took her children to the mall Thursday. Scrolling through social media the day after Halloween, she said parents were all saying the same thing.

“There were a lot of people who were at the mall the night before when there was the shooting and a lot of people were saying they wish they could give their kids a new lease of life,” Chrest said.

She said she never planned a large public event, but started a Facebook page to plan a trick-or-treating Halloween Sunday night. Hours later, she learned she was not alone.

“I want to give back tenfold to this community,” said Andrea Garner, Camas’ mom. She had an event planned for the exact same time.

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Garner and Chrest joined forces and their page took off, with hundreds of RSVPs and dozens of trunks.

“Without them, it wouldn’t be trunk or treat.” It would be, ‘Oh, here’s some candy, no one came,'” said Mariah, one of Chrest’s two children.

This includes the Vancouver Police Department, which keeps watch while handing out treats.

“I feel like I’m helping make the whole community happier and bringing joy back to scary things so that in the future they won’t be afraid to go out and trick-or-treat,” Micah said, Mariah’s brother. The two helped their mother gather candy and pack their own trunk.

For them, the redesign is personal.

“I kind of froze when I heard the news about the mall,” Mariah said.

“A few years ago there was a shooting of Sarah J, in the parking lot, at Sarah J. Anderson’s house, and we were at school at the time,” Chrest said, referring to a shooting at a Vancouver elementary school in 2019. “So we knew what that might mean for other people. We needed healing afterwards. It’s really that emotion of ‘let’s not let them win.’

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One mom, Kimberly, who brought her kids to the truck and treats, said she was a little scared to come Sunday.

“But I’m happy to see their little faces all excited about dressing up tonight,” Kimberly said.

Kimberly said she and her family narrowly escaped Thursday’s shooting.

“My friends were there, it was terrible,” she said. “We were there a few minutes before it happened. When we heard it, we were literally crying in the car.

They still went to get candy, but her kids say it was pouring rain. A few days later, they are happy to bring out the costumes.

Meanwhile, the moms behind it all say they’re thrilled with the turnout.

“It’s unimaginable. I don’t even know how to describe how I feel,” Garner said. “I’m so happy for everyone, I love seeing all these kids in their costumes, I love that it’s not raining.”

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