Thousands turn out in Atlanta to remember Orlando shooting victims

ATLANTA - Monday evening's rain couldn't keep thousands away from a vigil in Atlanta for the 49 victims of the Orlando shooting.

More than 2500 people gathered at the Center for Civil and Human Rights to remember the 49 killed in the Orlando mass shooting. The vigil was hosted by the LGBT Initiative.

They came to unite and to mourn. Anthony Defore was carrying a sign painted in rainbow colors that said "All lives matter." Defore is from Orlando.

“It hit home, there are friends and family who could have been there,” said Defore.

River and Nakoda Reynosa stood quietly with their arms around each other.

“Both of my communities have been hit. The Hispanic community and the gay community,” said Nakoda.

The couple said they have been crying since they first heard the news of the shooting. They spent hours trying to contact friends in Orlando to make sure they were safe.

The names of each of the 49 killed were read out loud, as a woman held up photos of each one of them. As many heard those names, their determination to stand together grew stronger.

“Whether we're black, white, Indian, Latino, it doesn't matter, we're all family and we need to come together and love each other,” says Fredrick Smith.