Family, friends, and colleagues helda candlelight vigil near the Bank of America branch after a deadly shooting claimed her life.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dozens of family members, friends and coworkers gathered in northwest Charlotte to honor the life of Ina Lang, the woman shot and killed last week near her workplace at a Bank of America branch.
Police have arrested 22-year-old Sam’on Smith and charged him with murder in connection with Lang’s death.
On Wednesday night, loved ones stood near the building where Lang worked for 20 years and where her life was taken, holding candles and sharing memories of the woman they described as the heart of their community.
Lang is not remembered for the tragedy that ended her life, but for the warmth and joy she brought to others.
There were tears as friends expressed condolences to Lang’s family.
“To her family, I am so deeply sorry for your loss,” one friend and colleague said. “Just know how deeply loved Ina was.”
Another coworker described Lang as a natural caregiver.
“Ina was like a mother to everybody here,” she said. “She was like a mother to me.”
But amid the grief, there was laughter, a reflection of the personality loved ones say defined her.
“Ina had sass, real sass, but the best kind,” one friend said. “The kind that made you laugh.”
Lang’s daughter, Victoria Gonzalez, fought back tears as she spoke about the loss of her mother.
“I’m going to miss her every day for the rest of my life,” Gonzalez said. “Her life was stolen from her in the most horrific way somebody could pass away.”
Throughout the vigil, people embraced, swapped stories, and reflected on Lang’s role as a wife, mother, and friend who “loved loudly and proudly.”
Friends described her as a pillar of love who made sure everyone around her was taken care of, sometimes in the smallest ways.
“She always took care of me,” another colleague said. “Gave me the hugs with the back scratches and always brought me leftovers from her and Mike because she didn’t want me eating fast food.”
As flowers and candles continue to grow at the memorial site, Lang’s husband, Mike Lang, said the community’s outpouring of support has brought comfort during unimaginable grief.
He said Ina was not only his wife of eight years but his first love.
“She was the first girl I ever kissed, first girl I ever hugged, held hands with, first girl I went on a date with,” Michael Lang said. “She was my everything. She was my first love and my last.”
He said seeing the crowd gathered in candlelight showed him just how far her love reached.
“I just knew she was a great woman to me,” he said. “But I didn’t know it extended so far.”
In the glow of candles outside the building where she spent much of her life working, friends and family made one thing clear: Ina Lang will be remembered not only for how she died, but for how deeply she lived and how fiercely she loved.
WCNC Charlotte wants to hear about your loved one
If your loved one was impacted by this incident, WCNC Charlotte hopes to make this process less painful with our More Than A Number initiative. With your help, we want to share who your loved one was with our viewers in North Carolina and South Carolina. When you’re ready, fill out the form below or send us photos, memories and other details about them to desk@wcnc.com.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.