Tears and guilt grip survivors at US school shooting vigils

“It’s just a lot of emotion. I’ve seen a lot of my friends from Douglas school and they’re crying — it’s a lot.”

At lunchtime, hundreds attended a church service in the neighboring city of Coral Springs.

A woman’s sobs broke the silence, as four others tried to comfort her. Florida Governor Rick Scott did a reading from the Bible.

“It’s always somewhere else. But it has to be in someone’s community and unfortunately it’s happened here. We will always be marked by this now,” Baptist pastor Eddie Bevill told AFP.

“When you hear the names Parkland, Douglas High School, Coral Springs, everyone will say oh, it’s that place.”

– ‘Illogical’ –

For many, the fact that Cruz — a troubled teen who officials said had lost both of his parents and sought mental health counseling in the past — was able to legally buy a gun from a local store.

“It’s illogical that the law says a minor can’t have a drink, but can buy a gun,” said Mavy Rubiano, the 47-year-old mother of a student who survived the shooting.

Bringing some relief to the desperate situation, however, were therapy dogs, trained and deployed by US charities in the aftermath of tragedies.

At Thursday’s church service, children and adults alike played with one golden retriever.

“Everybody loves dogs. It’s very difficult, even in times of great sadness, not to feel better when you pet a dog,” said Sharon Flaherty of Lutheran Church Charities, who traveled from Chicago with her dog, Jacob, to provide assistance.