Kim Delellis doesn't know any of the Orlando victims personally, but she knew she must do something.
"It's not about whether you know them or not. You are human being, you've got to love," she said while distributing chilled drinks to those coming over for the first official vigil to commemorate the victims in Sunday's deadly mass shooting.
"I know the weather is hot, and I know people are emotional," she said.
Thousands of people gathered in downtown Orlando, in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida, to remember the 49 people who were killed and to pray for the 53 others wounded. The shooting in a gay nightclub was the worst in U.S. history and the single deadliest attack since the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001.
People held praying signs and candles. Some of them laid flowers and wrote encouraging words on the pavement with crayon.
"Be Strong Orlando," "One City Love" and "We are with you," said the signs.
"Tonight we remain a city of pain, we are mourning and we are angry," said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer in a speech during the vigil. "We will get through this because in our city's darkest hour, our residents have shown that they are the light."
CONCERNS OVER GUN LAWS
The gunman, identified by authorities as Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie, Florida, used an AR-15 assault rifle and a handgun to carry out the attacks. Both guns were purchased legally.
This mass shooting, together with similar incidents in the United States in recent years, has triggered wide debates over gun control.
"I believe in gun control to a certain point. I don't think anybody needs anything as automatic as he had," said Delellis, who owns a handgun at home. "But what are you going to do with a machine gun?"
Iman Muhammad Musri, an Islam leader, told the rally: "We have to work hard as a nation, to reconsider our gun laws that allow such massacres to take place."
"ONE CITY LOVE"
According to Orlando Police Chief John Mina, the lone gunman did pledge allegiance to the extremist group the Islamic State and tried to negotiate with police during the attack.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump had quickly taken advantage of the event, restating his argument to ban Muslims from coming to the country.
Muslims, however, didn't shy away from the vigil. Present were many groups of women wearing hijab.
"It might be one guy who is just angry, you can never blame just one religion," said Marie Rivera, an Orlando local who took part in the vigil.
At one point, the rally called upon participants to hug the one next to him or her. For some Muslim women, they embraced their neighbors with smiles on their faces.
"I saw two beautiful Muslim people here tonight. I went to hug them and thanked them for the courage to be here tonight. That meant the world to me that they have the courage," said Eileen Simoneau, a volunteer who handed out water at the event.
"To show support for the people who suffered from this horrible attack. To show that we don't stand for this hate. Hate will not get us any place," said Amany Shalaby, a Muslim immigrant from Egypt who now live in the suburbs of Orlando.
"We are not leaving," said a staff member of the nightclub, where the incident happened. "We are here to stay. And we will get bigger and better than you can ever imagine."
