'I just saw too much:' Dayton mourns its fallen at vigil after Ohio shooting
DAYTON, Ohio – Erianna Carpenter wiped tears from her eyes as she watched hundreds of people pour into Dayton's Oregon District on Sunday night to mourn the victims of America's most recent mass shooting.
According to police, Connor Betts walked into the entertainment district just after 1 a.m. Sunday morning wearing a mask and body armor and carrying an AR-15 style rifle. In the 30 seconds before he was killed by Dayton officers, he killed nine people and wounded another 27.
Carpenter was there. She recently took a job as a cook at 416 Diner and when the mayhem broke out, she said she and her co-workers ran into the street to help the people they could.
"I saw all of them," Carpenter said. "I lost a friend last night, Thomas."
Thomas J. McNichols, 25, was among the victims.
Carpenter, a lifelong Dayton resident, said the sound of the gunfire was like the finale at a fireworks show.
"Everyone last night went into survival mode trying to save people," she said. "Everyone did the best they could."
The block where the shooting happened was filled with mourners Sunday night. Many wore "Dayton Strong" shirts – shirts that were made after tornadoes ripped through the area in May.
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Religious leaders from Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions spoke to the crowd and prayed for peace. Politicians offered what solace they could, and some called for change.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was shouted down with chants of "Do Something!" However, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley was met with rounds of applause.
"I love you, Dayton," Whaley said. "I am so sorry we are gathered here tonight."
She called the killings "avoidable."
"It may not feel like it right now, but I've seen so much fearlessness from the City of Dayton in the past 20 hours" the mayor said, "Dayton has done what Dayton does best. We take care of each other."
Ten doves were released: one for the injured and one for each of the fallen.
Officers said every surrounding jurisdiction responded to the shooting and many districts were at the vigil.
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Many officers received words of thanks or even hugs as they moved through the crowd.
Kyle Babirad lives in the neighborhood surrounding the Oregon District. He spoke to the crowd gathered Sunday night.
"We're mad, to be honest," he said. "We've worked for years to create a more welcoming, inclusive and safe community. I wish we could applaud ourselves, but there's a lot to do."
Babirad said the neighborhood is treating the shooting as an act of terrorism. He said he felt the residents were still under attack.
"We will not start to feel OK until we actually try to disempower the hatred and violent acts," he said.
The cook, Carpenter, isn't sure what to think.
"I can't even grieve right now," she said. "I feel like I didn't do enough. I couldn't save no one last night."
She said her brothers found her in the crowd of hundreds after the shooting.
"Everything was a blur. It didn't even hit me until I got home, and I was like, 'I have blood on my shirt.' "
She's worried for her community but hopeful after seeing her city rally behind the tornado victims. However, Carpenter said she thinks she may personally need a leave of absence.
"This was a wakeup for us," she said. "I just saw too much."
Follow Cameron Knight on Twitter: @ckpj99
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio shooting: Dayton mourns its fallen at vigil
