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There Is A Vigil At TLC Chinese Theatre For The Orlando Victims Tonight
TCL Chinese Theatre (Photo by Nikhil Shahi Photography via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
There will be a vigil tonight at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. The public is invited to gather in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre tonight at 6 p.m. At 7 p.m., the group will go on a peaceful candlelight walk in the neighborhood. You may bring candles or signs if you like. View the Facebook event here.
The creators of the event write that they were personal friends of Christopher Drew Leinonen, 32, who, along with his fiancé Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22, was among the 49 people killed in the attack.
Guerrero was attending school at the University of Central Florida to be a financial advisor. His uncle, Robert Guerrero, told the New York Times that he was "a very kind human being" and "a wonderful son."
Leonine was a counselor at a mental health facility. His friend Brittany Sted told the Times that he and his fiancé were "sort of like little Swiss Army knives, always balancing each other out and pulling out whatever they needed."
The pair had been invited by two other friends to Pulse on the night of the shooting and were waiting for their friends to finish using the restroom so they could all leave when gunman Omar Mateen entered the club. The two friends were able to escape.
According to the couple's families, they'd been dating for about two years and planned to get married. The family is planning to hold a joint funeral for the men.
Guerrero's sister, Aryam Guerrero, told TIME, "They were honestly in so in love. They were soul mates. You can tell by how they looked at each other."
Sponsored message
According to the vigil's event page:
Christopher "Drew" Leinonen, was a sweet, kind soul. His fiancee and him were so in love. Both of them were murdered that night in Orlando at Pulse. Since they never had the wedding they were planning, their families are planning a funeral for them together. I want to walk for their family. I want to show them as much support as they are showing their sons by laying them to rest together.
Donations may be made to the couple's families here.
TCL Chinese Theatre is located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood
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