NEW YORK—The bomb that claimed 22 victims outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England on May 22 has saddened people from around the world.
At Times Square, passersby took a moment to share their thoughts on the tragedy and pass on their words to the people grieving the loss of so many, including nine teenagers and an 8-year-old girl.
Amanda Halling, 14, visiting New York from Copenhagen, Denmark, said she often goes to concerts, an experience where “you’re supposed to be happy and be yourself,” she said.
“I can’t imagine how it must be to lose your best friends.”
The 22 victims of the blast have now been named. Seventeen of them were female, with most of the adults women chaperoning or picking up children, some of whom are now orphans.
For many young people, the attack has felt somehow personal.
Eric Wolff, a student from Long Island, New York and a Grande fan, was shocked by the attack.
“The fact that younger kids were also affected by this was really emotional, it really hit home for me.”
Nearly everyone The Epoch Times spoke with expressed shock at the attack. Rachel Goldstein, a student from Commack, Long Island, hoped the people there have the support they need.
“I was just really surprised and really heartbroken that something so bad like that could actually happen,” she said.
“I’m just so sorry for your loss and I hope that you guys can stay strong.”
Marla Gamble, a retired teacher from Dayton, Ohio, worries that the terrorists are specifically targeting children.
“I think the terrorists are trying to find more emotionally disturbing ways to hit at Western society,” she said.
Gamble, who volunteers with AFS-USA, a non-profit that offers international student exchange programs, said the attack was a reminder of how small the world is and how connected people are.
“A lot of people are crying inside with sadness for what they have experienced. It is not just their children, they are the children of the world that have been targeted,” she said.
“It made me feel sick and horrified.”
Curt Roberts, an engineer from Denver, Colorado, said having a daughter made the attack feel more personal.
“You start feeling pretty scared for that type of insanity.”
Speaking to the people of Manchester, he said he felt sorry for what they are facing, and offered his prayers and best wishes.
Tragedies like this one change how people live in the world, making it harder to be carefree, said Keith Wills, who works in finance and was visiting from Pennsylvania.
The impact of the attack goes beyond Manchester, he said.
“It’s not just the victims, their families, their friends, everybody gets impacted by this, it goes worldwide.”
As the list of victims of terrorist attacks grows, it can make the world seem more dangerous. But people mustn’t let such attacks get to them, said Maria Del Moral, 27, an architect from Spain currently living in the U.K.
“We have to carry on. We can’t plan our lives just because of the terrorists attacks, we have to keep living.”
“Their life will be different, but it is nothing we can say that can relieve their pain...I think everybody is sorry for them.”
