Houstonians hold vigil for city of El Paso

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - On Wednesday, cities across the state of Texas gathered to stand in solidarity with El Paso on the steps of Houston City Hall to get their message across that hate is not welcome here in Texas, or anywhere else.

“We are America, hate is not America, but rather we are America,” said Cesar Espinosa of F.I.E.L. Houston.

There were prayers and tears. Dozens of people surrounding 22 candles represented the lives lost in El Paso.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner also attended the event, saying “We are standing with the city of El Paso, and every person, every child, every family in El Paso, because quite frankly what happened in El Paso could very well have happened right here in the city of Houston.”

People were very well aware of that, which is why many chose to come out to show support.

Katherine Stovring tells us, “For me I am just absolutely heartbroken at what’s happening in El Paso. I mean, El Paso is really far away but we are all Texans.“

Ocelotl Nitlawoulla agrees, saying, “It calls attention to the atrocities, to the massacre, to the killings, to the pain and suffering of the people you know in El Paso, and it could happen to anybody, at any time.“

Mayor Turner and other politicians, spoke about gun control, and racism, but the main message was we should all be working together to make our country a safer place.

“When you are in our city, when you’re in our state, when you are in our country, we stand as one, and we should be working to uplift everyone single person,” said Mayor Turner.

People who attended the event told us that they have had enough. That, there needs to be changes before another mass shooting claims more innocent lives.