A vigil in Hillcrest to honor the 49 victims of the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, this weekend drew at least a thousand people Monday night.
The San Diego United: #OrlandoStrong event started at about 6:30 p.m. at the San Diego LGBT Community Center. After a short program, attendees marched toward Rich's, a nightclub in the neighborhood.
Hundreds of people attended a vigil at the pride flag in Hillcrest on Sunday.
"They might be miles away and I don't even know who the victims are in person, but they're still members of the community and they mean a lot to all of us," Carlos Juarez, who was at Monday night's vigil, told KPBS News.
Hanif Mohebi, executive director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ San Diego office, had also planned to attend the event.
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Although the shooter reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS during the attack, Mohebi told KPBS News that the violence had nothing to do with Islam.
"Hate is never accepted," Mohebi said. "And we will stand together with our LGBTQ community, as well as any other community that may be targeted.”
Mohebi said local mosques are bracing for any threats against Muslims that could come in days ahead. He was not surprised to see presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump doubling down on his call to ban Muslims from entering the country in the wake of the attack.
San Diego police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are working together to "ensure we remain safe as a region."
Officers have increased security as a precaution and are focusing on locations where crowds gather. Zimmerman said the ramped-up security measures would remain in effect until "further information is known."
"We want all San Diegans and their guests to feel safe," Zimmerman said. "This is yet another reminder for us all to remain vigilant and to stand together in protecting our community."
She asked residents to report anything suspicious.
"We ask if you see, hear, or know something, to please say something," Zimmerman said. "Working together as a community, we will protect our safety and our freedom."
Business owners in Hillcrest called for increased security and police patrols.
"For decades, nightclubs are a place where LGBT people have come and they feel safe and they can be who they are, and so this attack at a nightclub strikes at the heart of that," said Benjamin Nicholls, executive director of the Hillcrest Business Association. "So we want to make sure that our nightclubs are still safe."
