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Only about 20,000 people live in the entire town of Roseburg, Oregon, and thousands of them attended a vigil in one of the city’s parks Thursday night to honor the victims of the Umpqua Community College shooting.
When the speakers finished—which included the governor of Oregon and several state legislators—nobody moved. Then, every candle in Stewart Park was raised in the air and people started to sing. Nobody left because nobody wanted to leave.
"I wanted to feel empowered and this helped tonight,” said Katrina Keleher, who works with students and faculty at the college as part of AmeriCorps.
Angel Ardito and Hannah Lee—friends since high school, both in their second year at Umqua Community College—agree the vigil helps, but they're hurting and still in shock.
"I heard a couple loud noises, our whole class heard them,” Lee explained.
“I didn't hear any gunshots—I heard screaming,” Ardito said.
Lee stayed in her classroom near the shooting; Ardito and her boyfriend ran out of the library and climbed down a cliff.
"It was horrible. I was hyperventilating,” Ardito said. “I could barely move my legs, he had to drag me around basically.”
Both women know people injured and both hope they don't know anyone who died. Many people at Thursday's vigil hope the same.
"I don't know who all passed away so I don't know if one of my family members or friends is in there,” said Sherri Spratt, who has lived in Roseburg for three decades.
"I think we all are waiting to find out more information,” said third-year student Connor Gowey.
That didn't come at the vigil. Finally, though, the candles did come down, people did leave, and now they have to come to terms with what happened.
"I think everyone I know personally is going to be OK, at least I'm praying for them and I hope so,” Ardito said.
The president of the college spoke at the vigil and shared this message: If you're angry about Thursday’s tragedy and you can't control that anger, please stay away. She said anger is what caused this.
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