U.S. NewsCrime

Actions

Mass Shootings Bring Communities Of Tragedy Together

After shootings, some members of communities that have faced similar tragedies reach out.
Posted at 5:19 PM, Feb 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-20 17:19:48-05

After mass shootings, communities facing tragedy have a bond. That bond can be metaphorical, the creation of a support network or a physical act.

Emotional support dogs from organizations like Lutheran Church Charities often visit grieving communities, like after the Sandy Hook school shooting and now Parkland, Florida.

But white crosses have become especially symbolic. In a display of solidarity, one man brought crosses to Las Vegas after the shooting.

Greg Zanis did the same for other U.S. shootings, including after Columbine and Pulse nightclub.

And those crosses inspired a 15-year-old and her father from Las Vegas to do the same for those in the Florida school shooting. Each victim will get a cross. 

"When I'm writing down the names and the ages, it's going to be really hard because it's as if you're writing your own name or your friend's name," Odalys Maldonado said.