Vigil honors life of woman killed by husband at Marysville play center

MARYSVILLE, MIch. (WJBK) - A tight-knit community is in mourning after a popular business owner was shot and killed by her husband Saturday. 

Friends and family gathered outside of the Marysville children's play center the Jump N Jam, which Cheryl Myny owned and ran. The man leading the group in prayer told each person to raise their hands with this pledge: live more like she lived, with a little more compassion, a little more love.

"They obviously care a lot about Cheryl," said Christian Robbins who attended the vigil. "She brought a lot of joy to all these kids. I work with people and their kids used to come here all the time."

That is what the Jump N Jam was all about, bringing a little more light into the world for the littlest people. It was a place where youngsters could jump 'till their heart's content. All of that changed Saturday night. Robbins and Mary Morgan were there that night.

"All of a sudden we heard pop," said Morgan. "I was with my granddaughter; she is only two months old."

Cheryl's husband walked into the play center after they'd allegedly argued.

Woman killed in Marysville Jump N Jam shooting was shot by husband: police

"We heard pop again," said Morgan. "And they looked in the four cameras and she said someone just got shot."

"My niece was out there so I ran and picked up the only little girl that was out there, which I didn't know at the time was Cheryl's daughter," Robbins said. "Then I ran back out there to go see how she was, and it was not pretty at all. It was something I will never get out of my head."

The sounds and candles of Thursday night's vigil are helping to heal the wounds this entire community feels.

"She was actually comforting her 9-year-old son the whole time," Morgan said. "He actually went and sat by her and she was ... the whole time we were back there. It is a tragedy to know those kids have to grow up without a mom."

Myny's husband, Matthew Pilarowski, was found by authorities later that day dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

If you would like to help their children, a family friend has set up a GoFundMe account. You can make a donation here.