New York City continued to reel Monday morning, after a gunman who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State opened fire inside a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. early Sunday morning. The attack, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history and the worst terror attack on American soil since 9/11, killed 49 people and wounded at least 53.
New Yorkers honored the victims of the massacre at vigils around the city Sunday evening, including one in Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights, Queens, a neighborhood home to large Muslim and LGBTQ communities, and another in front of Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, a recently designated landmark widely considered the birthplace of the gay rights movement.
They continued to express their solidarity with the dead, their friends and their family on social media Monday.
The dawn of what will be a sunny summer day heralded the start of anything but a normal work week
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New Yorkers continued to meditate on Sunday's tragedy, many looking to the city's rainbow-illuminated monuments as the focus for their thoughts and prayers.
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An especially potent lightening rod for New Yorkers' reflections was the spire of One World Trade, constructed on the site of the towers destroyed in the 2001 terrorist attack
Thinking about the victims in Orlando and their families #prayfororlando #peace #regram @nyc
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Stonewall Inn, draped in mementos of the previous night's vigil, continued to draw pilgrims
Just had to stop by this morning at #StonewallInn #LGBT #OrlandoLGBT #OrlandoStrong #StopeTheHate pic.twitter.com/QrG1Yjj1WH
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One New Yorker called attention to the message of unity and and peace embodied by John Lennon's memorial in Central Park, Strawberry Fields
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Some found solace in the city's small embellishments
Flower Market // NYC Flowers, thoughts, and prayers for Orlando. Love more. #OrlandoStrong
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And others took comfort in the words of "Hamilton" creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose show won 11 Tony Awards Sunday night
And love is love is love is love is love... #Orlando ❤️
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Miranda read the lines above, an excerpt from a sonnet dedicated to the victims of the Orlando shooting, while accepting an award for best original score at the Beacon Theater.