Students and teachers in schools across Virginia wore blue on Monday, June 3rd, in solidarity and to honor those who were murdered in the Virginia Beach shooting at the municipal center on Friday, where 12 people were killed.

“This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach,” said Mayor Bobby Dyer. “The people involved are our friends, coworkers, neighbors, and colleagues.”

On Saturday, VBCPS Superintendent Aaron Spence sent out a tweet encouraging everyone to wear blue on Monday. Virginia Beach School’s official Twitter account also asked people to honor the 12 lives lost in this manner as well. Kempsville Principal Mellissa George notified families of this initiative through an Alert Now message.

Blue was chosen as it is the background color of the Virginia Beach city flag.

Autumn Ferguson, a senior who was wearing blue on Monday, said that she thought honoring the victims by wearing blue was important.

“I feel like it’s just respectful to participate in this,” she said. “No matter what I would have shown respect, [even] if it wasn’t somewhere close to here.”

Ferguson felt that the shooting being nearby, however, did change the way she thinks about gun issues.

“I know that during prom I felt a little uncomfortable,” Ferguson said, “and I was just like ‘oh, that’s way too close.’”

She also found it startling how close to home the attack hit, as she recognized a few of the victims.

“We have a business, so we’ve been there [the municipal building] multiple times before,” Ferguson said. “So I remember recognizing a few of the faces because we’ve talked to those people when we had to renew licenses and such.”

Sarah Grace Campbell, sophomore, was wearing a #vbstrong blue shirt on Monday to raise awareness and in memorial for the people who died.

“Obviously, whenever something like that happens it’s upsetting and it’s like ‘oh, that really happens’, Campbell said, “but when it’s at your own home, like 20 minutes away? It’s real, it actually happens.”

Her parents are surveyors, and she said, knew many of the people in the building.

“It was crazy to see something like that happen to people you know, or someone so close to me knows. It was just weird to see something like that happen so close to home. It’s like something you see on TV that never actually happens.”

Virginia Beach is hosting a “VB Remembers” community event on June 6 at 7 PM at Rock Church at 640 Kempsville Rd. An official memorial event has yet to be announced. More memorial activities will be updated and listed on loveforvb.com.