Hundreds gather at vigils for Aurora, Colorado shooting victims

AURORA, CO - Some residents of Aurora, Colorado, gathered in community, prayer and faith late Friday to honor the victims of a shooting inside a local movie theater .

"Today, we came to pray. Today we came to heal," said Rhonda Fields, a Colorado state representative.

"This is a very sad situation. I don't know about you, but I'm shaken. We have 12 people that lost their lives just behind us ... I don't know what else to do but to pray," she said.

Fields spoke at an evening vigil that brought together various faith leaders, and which was held near where the shooting took place.

A woman sang the Lord's Prayer.

The Rev. Thomas Mayes, who helped organize the event, urged those there to pray and to not fall victims to the fear that violence can provoke.

"This is a time when we come together. What I would like to see is for us not to wait for another tragedy to come together and to pray," he said, pausing for a moment of silence.

Candles appeared as night began to fall.

Elsewhere, in honor of the victims, President Barack Obama ordered flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Wednesday.

He canceled campaign events Friday, telling supporters at what had been scheduled as a rally in Fort Myers, Florida, that "there will be other days for politics."

"This will be a day for prayer and reflection," he said.