NORFOLK, Va.— The deadly mass shooting in Colorado is prompting concerns here in Hampton Roads. Some community members tell News 3 they're on high alert.
"We're made a target by those who think they're better than us because we're different from them," said John Childers, co-owner of MJ's Tavern.
Childers is mourning after the tragic shooting at Club Q in Colorado. As the owner of a gay establishment in Norfolk, he said the senseless attack impacts everyone.
"We had a moment of silence here at the bar, and not only that we also had one of our local clergies from a church here for a few hours to help people deal with it," said Childers.
The Colorado shooting came during Transgender Awareness week and hours before Sunday's Transgender Day of Remembrance, where events around the world are held to remember and mourn transgender people lost to violence.
"It's scary! It could happen anywhere. It happens in movie theaters, and in bars," said Childers.
Although the motive behind the shooting is not clear yet, one LGBTQ activist in Hampton suspects it was a hate crime.
"There's so many people against us, living as LGBTQ people. We would think the gay club would be a safe space for us because it's for our community, but nowadays no place is safe but home," said Nyonna Byers, Director of Empowering Transgender Services INC.
Leading Childers is set to increase security measures at MJ's Tavern.
"This way they know that I know if something is wrong or if any kind of act of aggression happens that we have it on camera," said Childers.
