No strangers to senseless tragedy, city officials in Aurora sent a large banner bearing messages of love and support to their counterparts in Pittsburgh in the wake of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in that city three weeks ago.
The banner, bearing the message “(heart) to Pittsburgh” and Aurora’s city logo, was covered in personal messages signed by people expressing their support for the people of Pittsburgh.
Check out this incredible banner mailed to us today from the community in Aurora, CO. Thank you so much.
— Daniel Gilman (@danielgilman)
“We were deeply saddened by the senseless and terrible tragedy that occurred in Pittsburgh,” said Kim Stuart, a spokeswoman for the city of Aurora. “As a community that has been through such a tragedy, we wanted to let the people of Pittsburgh know we are keeping them in our hearts.”
A gunman killed 12 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue after yelling anti-Semitic remarks on Oct. 27. Many of the victims were older community members who had arrived early for Saturday morning services.
Six years ago, a gunman killed 12 people and injured dozens more at a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” at a movie theater in Aurora.
The banner was signed by city employees, elected officials and members of the public, Stuart said. “We love you so much,” one signer wrote on the banner, also using a heart in place of the word love.
Since the synagogue shooting, officials in several cities have reached out to Pittsburgh to offer their support, said Timothy McNulty, a spokesman for Mayor Bill Peduto’s office. Jewish Community Centers from across the country and the city of Orlando also sent banners.
“Mayor Peduto has had several talks with mayors from other communities where gun massacres have occurred,” McNulty said. “Collectively, many of them have referred to it as ‘The Committee No City Wants to Be On.'”
In turn, Peduto reached out to officials in Thousand Oaks, Calif., following the mass shooting there on Nov. 7.
