Summary: Social media posts and online fundraisers show that even in tragedy, people find the strength to come together.

As we watched the tragedy of Saturday’s car accident involving five Kent State students unfold, we were struck by how many people were coming together to pray for the students and their families online. Complete strangers, many of whom witnessed the accident or were caught in the resulting traffic, were inquiring about JJ Marino’s condition and sending condolences to his friends and family.

The Twitter hashtag #prayforjage also revealed friends and strangers alike supporting Marino and the other students in the crash. Friends shared Instagram photos of Marino. Kent State students put blue and gold hearts after their tweets. A Facebook page titled “Praying for JJ” had more than 6,000 likes after only 24 hours of being online. A foundation page for Marino’s family was created on GiveForward.com to help his family with expenses. It has nearly raised its goal of $7,000.

We at the Daily Kent Stater want to extend our sympathies to Marino’s family and friends, and hope for a speedy recovery for the other students involved in the accident.

Although it will take time for the Kent State community to heal from this sudden loss, it’s comforting to know that our school — and even concerned strangers — can come together in tragedy.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.