Having experienced tragedy of their own, the people of Charleston, South Carolina, showed that their thoughts are with Orlando, following Sunday's mass shooting at popular gay nightclub Pulse.
Individuals in Charleston, the city that endured a mass shooting last June at Emanuel AME Church that left nine dead, gathered downtown Monday night for a vigil to pay tribute to and stand in solidarity with the victims of the Orlando shooting, WCIV reported.
"We have a profound sense of loss, profound sense of sadness," Mayor John Tecklenburg said, according to Live 5 News. "We are in solidarity with Orlando. We are Orlando."
Hundreds of people attended the vigil, which took place at the Charleston Visitor Center Bus Shed, Live 5 News noted. The victims' names were read aloud while candles were lit in their honor.
Many remembered the pain they felt after the Charleston shooting and were horrified by the recent events.
"It's ... déjà vu," Mitchell Hammonds, director of communications for the Charleston Pride Board, said according to WCIV. "Waking up and hearing so many people have been shot just for being who they are, being in a space celebrating who they thought they were."
In the aftermath of the horrific shooting, Charleston residents vowed to support the people of Orlando.
"We will continue to stand with the families and with Orlando and everywhere else that has ever faced a tragedy," Charleston resident Alyssia Valentin told Live 5 News. "And we will respond with love."
Related
Before You Go
