The repercussions of the deadliest shooting in US history were felt in Sarasota, where a candlelight vigil was held Monday night in memory of victims of the attack on the Pulse. “The purpose of this vigil is to stand with people who have been affected by this tragedy, and people who might be dealing with grief separate from knowing someone in the tragedy,” said Catherine Woolf, one of the events organizers.

The Sarasota community felt the impact of the shooting directly, as one of the first names released as a victim of the attack was Eddie Sotomayor, Jr., a 34-year-old from Sarasota. He was brand manager for ALandCHUCK.travel and was known in town as “Top Hat Eddie.” Al Ferguson, a founder of the travel agency, spoke to CNN Monday about the loss of Sotomayor, who had sent messages shortly before the shooting indicating he was at Pulse. “He constantly talked about the idea of going out in the world,” Ferguson said. 

The event at Five Points Plaza was held the same night as a huge vigil in Orlando remembering victims of the shooting. Police say Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old from Fort Pierce, brought an automatic weapon into the gay club. FBI officials say at least 50 people, including Mateen, died as a result of the shooting and another 53 were injured. The City of Orlando is releasing names of victims on its city website as next of kin are notified.

The vigil in Sarasota had been organized by a number of individuals, many associated with organizations that have a history of supporting LGBT causes, including Equality Florida and the Harvey Milk Festival.