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Hundreds including Gov. McAuliffe, attend vigil for Orlando shooting victims

Posted at 10:54 PM, Jun 14, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-15 07:43:10-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- Hundreds showed up at Diversity Richmond Tuesday Evening for a vigil to honor and remember those who lost their lives in the Orlando nightclub shooting.

The show of support was so large, some community members couldn’t get inside the venue and filled the parking lot to show support for Orlando and Richmond's LGBT community.

“When your people are threatened you stand up and you join hands,” said community member Glen Milich.

The hundreds left outside hung on to every word pumping through speakers.

Even Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe came to the event and spoke in support of Virginia's LGBTQ community.

“This was a hate crime,” he said. “I love our LGBT community I have never been shy about that.”

Gov. Terry McAuliffe

Gov. Terry McAuliffe

He made it clear that violence against the gay community will not be tolerated in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“I have always said Virginia needs to be open and welcoming to everyone,” he added.

Words that resonated deeply with Phillip Ramirez.

“This is a time when we need spokespeople we need people to stand up for us we are hurting right now... It's good to have a governor who is on our side.”

Orlando Vigil

Throughout the evening and night, Governor McAuliffe and the Richmond community paid tribute to the men and women in Orlando.

The names of the 49 victims were read one by one.

“We are here to mourn. We are here to grieve. We are here to reflect on this loss we have suffered,” said one speaker.

The hundreds in attendance then lit candles in a stunning show of triumph over darkness.

After the event an open space was provided for people to process their feelings through crafting, writing, or other creative expression.

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