Vigils will be held in Banbridge and Newry on Thursday to remember Karen Cummings, the mother-of-two who died after being discovered fatally injured in her home last Saturday.
Details of the vigils for the 40-year-old were announced as two men remain in custody as they continue to be questioned on suspicion of murder.
Ms Cummings, a children’s nurse in Daisy Hill in Newry, was discovered unconscious and with a serious head injury inside her home in Laurel Heights in Banbridge. She died at the scene.
Both vigils will take place at 6pm at Marcus Square, Newry and Solitude Park in Banbridge.
In a post on social media, the organisers of the Newry vigil described Ms Cummings as a “daughter, sister, friend and cherished work colleague”.
“She devoted her life to looking after her own children and many other children in her role as a paediatric nurse in Daisy Hill,” the post continued.
The vigils will happen exactly a week after one was held in Lurgan to remember the lives of 24 women murdered since 2020. Seven have lost their lives violently this year.
Speaking at Monday night’s Armagh Banbridge Craigavon council meeting, Lord Mayor Sarah Duff noted how she, and many others, attended the vigil in Lurgan only last week to speak out on violence against women. Her chosen charity this year is Women’s Aid.
“We could never have imagined that just one week later we would be mourning another tragic loss of life, Karen Cummings from Banbridge, who was brutally murdered right here in our borough,” said Councillor Duffy. She and other councillors wore Christmas jumpers to help raise money for Women’s Aid.
Police are continuing to question a 42-year-old arrested at the scene of the violent death. A second man was arrested close to a nearby graveyard on Sunday afternoon.
