- Title: Dogs help heal emotional wounds at El Paso shooting vigil
- Date: 15th August 2019
- Summary: EL PASO, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 14, 2019) (REUTERS) PEOPLE AT VIGIL HELD FOR VICTIMS OF EL PASO SHOOTING AT BASEBALL STADIUM WEARING T-SHIRTS READING (English) "EL PASO STRONG" VIGIL AT BASEBALL STADIUM PERSON PRAYING PEOPLE HOLDING UP THEIR CELL PHONES TO SHINE LIGHTS WOMAN PRAYING PEOPLE LISTENING TO SPEAKER PEOPLE APPLAUDING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL RESIDENT AND VIGIL ATTENDEE, MARIA MORALES, SAYING: "Yes, it's going to take time, because we never thought this would happen here. And it caught the whole community by surprise. So, yes, it's going to take time, but we'll get back up, because we're strong." VARIOUS, GIRL PETTING PAW OF EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT BROUGHT THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOGS, LUZ SOTO, SAYING: "To find a little peace, to find a little consolation, and most importantly to start to heal. These dogs offer the opportunity for people to free their emotions, (because) many are holding their emotions inside, they haven't allowed themselves to cry, they haven't expressed themselves, how they feel after what happened on August 03. That affects us all as a community, not just here in El Paso, but in (Ciudad) Juarez as sister cities." PERSON WEARING T-SHIRT READING (English) "EL PASO STRONG" VARIOUS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOGS VARIOUS, PEOPLE EMBRACING
- Embargoed: 29th August 2019 20:52
- Keywords: prayer mass El Paso vigil comfort animal massacre dogs em shooting shooter
- Location: EL PASO, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
- City: EL PASO, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice
- Reuters ID: LVA001ASBYN2F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: With "El Paso Strong" shirts on and with the sun setting behind them, thousands of people crowded into a baseball stadium in the town on Wednesday (August 14) evening to remember the 22 people killed by a gunman at a local Walmart store on Aug. 03.
The memorial came 11 days after an attacker, who police say drove hours to El Paso from a Dallas suburb, killed 22 people and injured dozens more. The attacker said he was specifically targeting Mexicans, according to police. El Paso is a largely Hispanic city.
As El Pasoans entered the baseball stadium Wednesday they were greeted by emotional support dogs, brought by a group that has been visiting disaster areas since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.
The baseball infield was dotted with 22 stars made out of luminarias, paper bags with candles or lights inside, to remember those killed in the El Paso attack along with nine circles commemorating the dead in an Ohio shooting that happened just hours later.
On the stage along with the governor and El Paso's mayor were Mexican government representatives, taking part to remember the eight Mexican nationals who died in the same attack.
(Production: Jose Luis Gonzalez, Rodolfo Pena Roja) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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