Hundreds gather in Half Moon Bay to remember shooting victims

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. - A memorial service and procession were held in Half Moon Bay Tuesday evening. City officials say they wanted to continue reaching out to the community and bring people together.  

The community is still in mourning, and now they say being together, supporting one another is going to play a big part in their healing and in moving forward. 

It’s been eight days since seven people were gunned down in Half Moon Bay, a quaint farming town in San Mateo County. Hundreds of people came together at Our Lady of Pillar Church to pray for the victims, their families and the entire community. After the memorial service, they walked down Main Street, singing, while holding lit candles, to show solidarity.  

People are still trying to wrap their minds around what happened. 

"I was not born here, but I grew up here. I’ve been here like 35-plus years and never did we expect this," said Janet Cortes, of Half Moon Bay.    

Supporting the victims’ families and each other seems to be everyone’s main priority right now. 

"We need this so that first and foremost, we remember that we are a community together, that we form community together. From there through that unity, we can find those solutions. Building it together, hand in hand," said Pacifica Mayor, Tygarjas Bigstyck.     

"It’s certainly on mind a lot, saying extra prayers and hoping for things to improve soon for the families of the victims," said Lance Magee, of Redwood City.     

At the end of the procession, people gathered at the IDES Hall on Main. The city, county and the Chamber of Commerce sponsored the dinner, hoping to create a time of fellowship and unity.  

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"We will be here for them and continue working on getting all those fears to vanish little by little. I’m sure they will never go away but just feel safe," Cortes said.   

City and County officials also want to remind people that counseling services are also available for anyone who needs it. For more information about mental health services, you can go to ktvu.com and click the link for this story.