Early Sunday morning, a gunman opened fire in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fl. Omar Mateen killed 49 clubgoers and injured at least as many in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Mateen was killed at the scene after a prolonged hostage situation.
There were tributes offered across the country, from the White House to the Tony Awards. Over 1,000 miles north of Orlando, Pennsylvania residents reacted to the news with vigils, fundraisers and security concerns.
The parade must go on
Pittsburgh city officials are holding a candlelight vigil Monday night to honor the victims. But the city already had an occasion for people to come together on Sunday — the annual Pride Parade.
Pittsburgh hosts the largest LGBT pride event in the state, drawing over 100,000 people. This Sunday was no different, though the revelry was interrupted by a 50 second moment of silence for those killed in Orlando.
"The day was beautiful, the crowd was joyful, I couldn't have asked for a better day," said Christine Bryan, the director of marketing for the Delta Foundation, which organizes the event. "People were definitely thinking about Orlando, but we were celebrating the LGBT community just as much."
Find more of this report on the site of our partner, Keystone Crossroads.