A rainbow appeared over the city of Orlando Tuesday night, according to social media posts, a sight many of them took as a symbol of hope two days after one of the country's worst tragedies.
The images showed a rainbow shining in golden light in front of dark clouds. Some said it seemed to come directly from Pulse nightclub, where a heavily armed gunman killed at least 49 people Sunday, the deadliest mass shooing in U.S. history.
Twitter user @AlexaScore used the hashtag #OrlandoStrong when she posted a photo of the rainbow. She said she was going to her gym near Pulse "and this rainbow is hanging over the nightclub."
Rainbows have been used the world over — hanging over the historic Stonewall Inn in New York and draping the Eiffel Tower in — as a symbol of solidarity with the attack on the popular gay nightclub.
Still reeling from the shooting, the city held a prayer service Tuesday night as well.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said he was uplifted by the way the community has come together as more than a thousand people — including many clergy and local, state and national civic leaders — met Tuesday night at First Baptist Orlando to hold a vigil for the shooting's victims.
U.S. & World
Dyer said to the crowd: "We will not be defined by the act of a hate-filled killer. We will be defined by our love, compassion and our unity."
NBC Southern California's Irene Moore contributed to this report.
