Vigil Held for Victims of Gilroy, El Paso, and Dayton Shootings

Upward of 70 Santa Barbarans gathered outside La Casa de La Raza on August 5 to hold a vigil for the victims of the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas; Dayton, Ohio; and Gilroy, California. The group formed a circle to share prayers and voice concerns about gun reform and racist political rhetoric. 

“We’ve had more shootings than days in the year,” said Ralph Armbruster-Sandoval, who organized the vigil. “We thought that Sandy Hook would be the last one, that Parkland would be the last one, that this would never happen again, but here we are again.” 

Another speaker shared a prayer song and said, “What can we do? We can vote, we can gather, we can pray, and we can take action.”