Leaders come together to host LA vigil in response to hate-fueled killings in Buffalo, Laguna Woods
Attorney Laura Drino, of Woman Against Gun Violence, tells the story of one of the victims in the Buffalo mass shooting during an anti-hate vigil at the First AME Church in Los Angeles on Monday, May 23, 2022.
An anti-hate vigil is held at the First AME Church in Los Angeles on Monday, May 23, 2022 in wake of the Buffalo, New York and Orange County shootings. The gathered group lit a candle for each of the 11 victims killed during the two shootings: 10 in Buffalo on May 14 and one in Laguna Woods on May 15.
Authorities have said that the accused gunman, David Wenwei Chou, was motivated to carry out the shooting due to a longstanding grievance against Taiwan over tensions with China. Chou, a Taiwanese immigrant, lived in Las Vegas, but targeted the congregation in Laguna Woods on Sunday afternoon for reasons that are still under investigation.
Aziza Hasan, executive director of NewGround: A Muslim Jewish Partnership For Change, speaks during a vigil at L.A.’s First AME Church on Monday, May 23. “This is a manifestation of the ugliest part of humanity in our country today,” Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said last week. “At some point, we have to put aside our differences and focus on our similarities.”