Tucsonans honor Orlando shooting victims at 4th Avenue vigil

More than 700 Tucsonans stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the desert heat in a Fourth Avenue parking lot on Sunday night to remember the dozens of victims of the Orlando mass shooting.

The first to take the stage was the nearly 8-foot Tempest DuJour. The current Miss Gay Tucson America quickly let her guard down as she let the friends and strangers alike know she had lost a friend in Orlando.

"My friend, Eddie Sotomayor, grabbed his boyfriend who was shot and raced for the door of Pulse nightclub and was shot in the back and killed,"  said DuJour, also known as Patrick Holt, an associate professor at the University of Arizona.

While DuJour mourns her loss, she told the crowd not to answer the horrific mass murder by allowing hatred in their hearts and seeing Muslims in a different light.

"Religion did not kill those people. A crazy man with a gun did," DuJour said.

The peaceful gathering started before 7 p.m. outside of IBT's Bar & Food, with a number of people carrying printed signs made by the group, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Some people carried handmade signs, while others held glow sticks and small candles as they spilled into the street after there was no more room on the sidewalk. 

Tucson Police Department Police Chief Chris Magnus and University of Arizona Police Chief Brian Seastone walked with the crowds during the candlelight vigil. 

About two blocks of Fourth Avenue had a large police presence during the vigil, with TPD closing the street briefly to vehicles as well as the Tucson Modern Streetcar.

City Councilwoman Karin Uhlich said the Tucson community was in pain again after witnessing such an attack on the LGBT community in Florida. 

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"We know a particular brand of bigotry and hate but we are not alone," she said. "We are here together because we know that if we stand together ... we will prevail."

She noted it was only a year ago that the community was celebrating the Supreme Court decision striking down state bans on same-sex marriage.

Scott Blades, the executive director of Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network, said all of America should weep over the senseless loss of so many people.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire LGBT community and all of the people of Orlando. We must re-double our efforts to create a society where persons are not hated because of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. And we must end the insanity of allowing weapons that serve legitimate purpose only in war, to freely roam our streets," he said.

About a mile away, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community held a prayer service.

Muhammad Akram Kashmiri, the president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Tucson, condemned what her called "this senseless and horrific act of violence."

“Our hearts go out to the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in peace," said Kashmiri.

Members were asked to break their Ramadan fasts and instead donate blood.