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Moment of silence, vigils held nationwide in honor of Orlando victims

Vigils were held across the country - and even internationally - to remember those killed and hurt in the Orlando shooting.

Marcus Gilmer

on June 12, 2016

Moment of silence, vigils held nationwide in honor of Orlando victims

People and members of the gay community gather for a vigil near the Beaubourg art center in downtown Paris to mourn for victims of the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida. Credit: GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP/Getty Images

Mourners across the nation attended vigils and marked a moment of silence on Sunday evening to show solidarity and support for the victims of the deadly Orlando nightclub shooting.

During a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Florida governor Rick Scott asked the nation to honor the victims with a moment of silence at 6 p.m. ET.

Also in Orlando, a prayer vigil attracted an overflow crowd of mourners at Joy Metropolitan Community Church and featured a heartbreaking performance of "True Colors" by the Orlando Gay Chorus.

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Besides the moment of silence, other vigils and commemorations sprung up across the United States, and in other countries as well.

There were several vigils being held in Canada, including in Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver. And a group of supporters planned a gathering Sunday night for a vigil at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre in Whitehorse, Yukon.

In New York, the Empire State Building went dark out of sympathy for the victims.

Also in New York, there was a vigil outside the historic Stonewall Inn, the historic gay bar that's been at the center of the fight for LGBT rights dating back to the 1969 Stonewall riots.

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An additional vigil at Stonewall has been scheduled for Monday night.

There were also other moments of recognition at Pride events in other cities, including a moment of silence in Boston.

And in Los Angeles, where today's pride parade went off amidst a different arrest, marchers paid their respects, as well.

And, in Dallas, a group of Muslims planned to gather in their own tribute to the victims and to decry the violence of the shooter.

Mourners gathered outside the White House in Washington, D.C. for a candlelight vigil there.

In Chicago, two vigils were planned, including in the city's epicenter for LGBT culture, the Boystown neighborhood.

A vigil was also held Sunday night in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood at Harvey Milk Plaza.

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Marcus Gilmer

Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.