Remembering Orlando shooting victims, one week after tragedy

World Today

It’s been one week since a gunman opened fire in an Orlando gay club, killing 49 people. Now funerals are being held throughout the city.

CCTV America’s Steve Mort reports on a community still coming to terms with the tragedy.

Crowded into a small Orlando church – hundreds showed up for Sunday morning services a week on from the Pulse nightclub shooting.

“I think a lot of people are just trying to process this. What does this mean? What do we do with this? Now that we’ve come to grips with what’s been happening, how do we make sense of it in this world? So, I think that’s what a lot of us are looking for,” Christine Gaskins a member of the First Unitarian Church of Orlando said.

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Religious leaders say part of their job is to help people move on. Reverend Kathy Schmitz said her church has close ties to Orlando’s gay community. She said as people come to terms with the tragedy, her congregation’s attention is increasingly turning to solutions

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“We have to continue to mitigate the factors that have caused this tragedy. And this includes hateful rhetoric, extremist groups, our gun policies in this country and well as mental health issues,” Schmitz said. “People want a simple answer. It’s many things and each of us will have a different piece to play and we try to heal and move forward.”

Across town, the Discovery Church – which greets some 3,000 worshippers a week – is just a short distance from the Pulse nightclub. The church said many who were directly involved in the tragedy are still reeling.

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“When you think of law enforcement, when you think of the medical teams, when you think of the businesses, local businesses that have been shut down, the friends, the families, I mean the ripple effect of this act runs so deep,” Discovery Church Pastor John Parrott said.

Meanwhile, a makeshift memorial for the victims of the shooting continues to attract mourners, including Sabrina Ashe and her grandson.

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“He needs to know these things so he will protect himself at all costs. Because it could have been anywhere, not just at a nightclub. It could have been out here. So I just want him to be aware of his surroundings and, you know, if he ever feels in danger, let somebody know,” Ashe said.

Authorities are still working on piecing together the events of last Sunday. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch is set to travel here this week to meet with investigators.


Douglas Smith of MWW Group discusses Orlando shooting investigation

CCTV America’s Susan Roberts interviewed Douglas Smith, a former Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about the what the investigation into the Orlando shooting may include.