A brief ceremony to remember the victims of the Von Maur shooting was held outside the store Wednesday night. About 400 people gathered to hear the names read and joined together to sing "Silent Night."

The crowd observed a minute of silence.

Father Don Shane of St. Roberts Bellarmine spoke of forgiveness at the memorial service, held not far from where a 19-year-old gunman shot and killed eight people and himself December 5th.

"This is a very special place. A holy place," Shane said in a prayer. "You have stirred the hearts of people to show love and concern in tragedy."

Father Shane read the names of the victims, then spoke of the shooter. "We also entrust to you Robert Hawkins and we ask that we can be the antidote to weakness and sickness and pain and suffering."

It took less than a half-hour to remove the hundreds of memorials left on the south steps of Von Maur. Volunteers loaded them into plastic tubs where they'll be stored until the Nebraska Historical Society can catalog them. Victims' families will be allowed to look through the items and possibly keep them.

Gay Robinson Abraham of Omaha made a paper snowflake earlier in the day, among thousands of handmade snowflakes posted on the doors of the store to remember the victims.

"I didn't realize how much it would affect me to touch the door. It just seemed like a concrete thing to do."

Pat Skwarek of Omaha said she goes to Von Maur twice a month and was on her way there the day of the shooting when she was sidetracked.

Tears ran down her face as a chorus of "Silent Night" started from the back of the crowd and with the words "sleep in heavenly peace," people started to disperse.

"I'm not going to let it stop me. I'm going to be here tomorrow and I'll have my credit card. It'll be hard at first, but we'll get past it."

Von Maur is scheduled to reopen for the first time since the attack Thursday at 10 a.m.