Fort Worth vigil honors mass shooting victims in chance to ‘celebrate our humanity’

The murmur of bagpipes and a series of prayers were shaded by politics at a vigil Tuesday evening outside Fort Worth City Hall held to recall the victims of two mass killings last week.

It was clear that Mayor Betsy Price had hoped to focus on mourning.

“This is not about red or blue. This is not about politics tonight,” Price told the crowd of about 140 people.

The purpose of the vigil, which lasted for about 20 minutes, was to offer an occasion to stand in solidarity and “celebrate our humanity,” Price said.

An Allen man is accused of opening fire inside an El Paso Walmart on Saturday, killing 22 people and wounding 25. Hours later, nine people were slain in Dayton, Ohio.

Law enforcement authorities were examining an anti-immigrant screed posted online shortly beforehand and hoped to determine whether it was written by Patrick Crusius, the man arrested in the El Paso killings.

Price twice quoted scripture, including from Matthew 5:4. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” she said.

Tarrant County Commissioner Roy C. Brooks said that he agreed with the mayor that the gathering should not have been a conspicuously political event.

“But we cannot deny that it is politics that has brought us to this moment,” he said. “We need leadership that will not only say that we reject hate and that we reject division, but that leadership will also model those statements.

“The bible says faith without works is dead. Well, we’re hearing a lot of faith. But the works that we see do not match the faith,” Brooks said.

Price’s opponents suggested the vigil was fraught with politics.

Juana Guzman said the mayor had offered “surface-level solidarity.”

Guzman cited an October incident in which a banner that declared “deport them all” was hung from the Morningside Bridge on Interstate 35W. The bridge, located near West Berry Street, is in a primarily Hispanic area.

Guzman said Price should have forcefully condemned the banner’s message.

At the time, Price said, “We don’t want to be the platform for a hate group. It’s outrageous, it’s awful.”

Guzman was one of about 10 people who stood with a strip of red tape covering their mouths. The mayor’s last name was written in black letters on the tape with the first two letters in lower case and the last three letters, ICE, in upper case, a reference to the federal law enforcement agency.

A few held signs. The statement “Betsy, your actions & silence manifest hate,” was written on one.

“To us this was a huge hypocrisy,” Guzman said. “To come out and do a vigil for a community she hasn’t supported or has a history of not supporting — it was very hypocritical.”

This story was originally published August 6, 2019 at 9:38 PM with the headline "Fort Worth vigil honors mass shooting victims in chance to ‘celebrate our humanity’."