Community leaders in West Palm Beach grieving on behalf of the gay community.
Outside West Palm Beach City Hall, there was silence and solidarity Monday morning.
“Gracious God our hearts are heavy today Lord with the tragedy that took place in Orlando,” said Rev. Kevin Jones, with the Tabernacle Baptist Church.
City and community leaders stood together.
“I don't want us to lose sight of the fact that we are talking about a hate crime,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio. “This man in particular targeted the LGBT community.”
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While a city worker raised the LGBT flag to half-staff to honor the lives lost in Orlando.
“We're still finding out the names of the people we've lost,” said Tony Plakas, the CEO of Compass, the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Palm Beach County. “Some of us don't even know that we have more mourning to do. “We're not even sure whether or not we've lost someone.”
Plakas says this is the first time the flag will fly at half-staff since the flag-raising tradition started for Pride month in 2002.
“From now on every single time we celebrate Pride in June, we're also going to have to have a memorial for all the people we've lost,” said Plakas.
There will be a vigil Monday night at the Cultural Plaza in Lake Worth at 8 p.m.
