Coloradans Hold Vigil For Las Vegas Victims: 'We're All In This Together'
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - There has been an outpouring of support in Colorado for the victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting, and in Aurora on Friday night residents held a candlelight vigil.
Colorado has unfortunately seen its fair share of similar violence, and relatives of several shooting victims took part in the vigil, which included singing "We're all in this together."
"I'm reading the newspaper, and just change the pictures and it's exactly the same as July 2012," said Tom Sullivan, whose son Alex was killed in the Aurora theater shooting.
Sullivan was among those who is feeling frustrated that mass shooting keep happening in America.
"As a society, we're fed up with this," he said.
Sullivan happened to be in Las Vegas at the time of the massacre late Sunday night. He was attending a conference a few blocks away. The minutes, hours and days that have followed bring back difficult memories.
"It shakes the foundation of my soul, because no parent should have to bury their child," he said.
State Sen. Rhonda Fields knows the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence all too well. Her son was murdered in 2005.
The Democrat came to the vigil to send a message.
"These assault rifles are for a theater in war. It's a weapon of war, not intended to be on the Las Vegas strip," she told CBS4.
Advocates for change like Fields and Sullivan say they want to see an end to the violence in the name of those killed in Las Vegas, Aurora, Newtown, Connecticut, Orlando and more.
They said the government needs to not be afraid to discuss guns.
"That's a 4 letter word we're not supposed to say, well we'll continue to say it and that's what we have to do because without that we're going to continue to have these types of things," Sullivan said.
Sullivan said he went to the vigil to be a visible voice for parents of the Las Vegas victims and to show them that healing takes time, but they're in it together.
