Vigil Held At Loring Park For Orlando Shooting Victims

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A vigil was held at Loring Park Sunday night for the victims of a shooting at a nightclub in Orlando that left at least 50 people dead.

Hundreds of people, including Gov. Mark Dayton and several lawmakers, filled the park to honor the victims. The group OutFront Minnesota and members of the LGBTQ community organized a vigil at Loring Park and called the shootings a senseless act of hate.

Many people told WCCO they felt comfort in being together and responding to an act of hate with love.

"I don't know what wisdom we gain here tonight from this awful incident but I do know the grace that we gain from standing together," said St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman.

"It's 2016 and we're still having to fight, and literally for our lives right now," said Steven Bares-Passow of Minneapolis. "It seems like every time we're taking 10 steps forwards we're taking 20 steps backwards."

"We won't allow the divisions to be furthered by calls to hatred," Joy Caires said.

"Yeah we may have taken a step backward again, but it's a huge step forward that we have people supporting us, and not just within our own community," said Bares-Passow. "We have a very inclusive and a very loving community here and it's the reason I continue to stay."

Twin Cities Pride organizers say they are working on some more visible security measures to be in place when that event starts on June 25 in Loring Park.

They say they're also working on special ways to honor the victims in Orlando.

But they told WCCO, like always, the event will be about love and hope over everything else.