People in the Hudson Valley are remembering the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre that took place five years ago, including one local religious leader who saw the aftermath of the mass shooting firsthand.

Rev. Kelly Hough Rogers, Associate Minister of Children, Youth and Families at Norfield Congressional Church, was sent to Newton to help first responders cope with their pain. She says she will never forget the grief she saw.

Rogers now serves as an advocate in an interfaith group whose mission is to prevent gun violence. The reverend estimates that about 500,000 Americans have been injured or killed by gun violence since Sandy Hook.

"I think we need to work together to find ways to lesson these tragedies and find ways we can all live together in peace rather than using violence as an answer," Rogers says.

She says common sense rules like background checks should be put in place to prevent more tragedies.