THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Hundreds of mourners gathered outside a California theater and at other venues Thursday night to pay tribute to the 12 people killed in a mass shooting at a Thousand Oaks bar, KTLA reported.
People gathered outside the Fred Kavil Theatre for the Performing Arts in Thousand Oaks and participated in a candlelight vigil to remember the victims killed at the Borderline Bar & Grill, the television station reported.
"Tonight, we are a hurting city," Thousand Oaks Mayor Andy Fox told the crowd. "But we are a community of love, of compassion and of unity. We’re also a community of hope."
Some people sang, while others simply held hands, KTLA reported.
The crowd stood and applauded as Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean took the stage, KTLA reported.
“There’s nothing really that I can say here that will fill the hole that’s in our hearts," Dean told the crowd.
Despite evacuations in Ventura County from two fast-moving fires, residents gathered at three memorial events, including a rosary at California Lutheran University, a memorial at Moorpark College and a vigil outside the theater, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Ventura County Community Foundation, a local nonprofit organization, has been working with Thousand Oaks officials to collect donations, KTLA reported. Details are on the foundation's website, where the organization wrote: "Take care of each other."