Wilmington's National Night Out, which sought to promote public safety Tuesday night in Rodney Square, was shadowed by recent mass shootings over the weekend.
In El Paso, Texas, 22 people were killed in a shooting at a Walmart on Saturday. Then on Sunday in Dayton, Ohio, a gunman killed nine people, including his sister.
"I'm just praying it won't happen here," said longtime Wilmington resident and city worker Jacqueline Wing. "There's enough shootings here."
Even though National Night Out has been planned since the start of summer, the recent mass shootings were on attendees' minds.
So the city and first responders educated attendees on what to do in case of emergencies. "We need to be prepared in not only official buildings, but in malls too," said Willie Patrick, the director of Wilmington's emergency management.
Patrick told attendees it is always good to make a plan, build an emergency kit and practice for any natural or man-made emergency.