Vigils Held Throughout Tri-State To Mourn Victims Of El Paso, Dayton Mass Shootings
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - New Yorkers and people across the Tri-State Area continue to show their grief and support through vigils and new calls for action following the deadly weekend mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, that left a combined 31 dead and at least 50 injured.
In the Texas border city of El Paso, a gunman opened fire Saturday morning in a shopping area packed with thousands of people during the busy back-to-school season. The attack killed 22 and wounded more than two dozen, many of them critically.
Hours later in Dayton, a gunman wearing body armor and carrying extra magazines opened fire in a popular nightlife area, killing nine and injuring at least 26 people.
The shootings were the 21st and 22nd mass killings of 2019 in the U.S., according to the AP/USA Today/Northeastern University mass murder database that tracks homicides where four or more people killed — not including the offender.
Including the two latest attacks, 127 people had been killed in the 2019 shootings.
Vigils
Flag at New York's City Hall are flying at half staff in honor of the vicitms of the El Paso and Dayton shootings.
In Brooklyn, a vigil was held Monday night in Prospect Park mourning the victims and calling for the reform of gun laws.
The Brooklyn borough president, a congressional delegation, anti-violence organizations and community leaders gathered at Grand Army Plaza, lighting candles placed next to pairs of shoes for each of the victims.
Residents of Westchester County gathered Monday night for an interfaith vigil at the First Baptist Church in White Plains.
Active Shooter Preparedness
The Department of Homeland Security has created several reference guides for creating reaction plans to active shooter situations. Among the tips offered by the DHS:
- Be aware of your environment and any possible dangers.
- Take note of the two nearest exits in any facility you visit.
- If you are in an office, stay there and secure the door.
- If you are in a hallway, get into a room and secure the door.
- As a last resort, attempt to take the active shooter down. When the shooter is at close range and you cannot flee, your chance of survival is much greater if you try to incapacitate him/her.
For more on surviving an active shooter situation, click here.
