Crime

Mass Shootings Bring Communities Of Tragedy Together

After shootings, some members of communities that have faced similar tragedies reach out.

Mass Shootings Bring Communities Of Tragedy Together
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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.

Mass Shootings Can Happen Anywhere, But They Keep Happening In The US
Mass Shootings Can Happen Anywhere, But They Keep Happening In The US

Mass Shootings Can Happen Anywhere, But They Keep Happening In The US

Mass shootings happen worldwide, but they're more frequent and prompt a more muted legislative response in the U.S.

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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.