Politics & Government

Concert Honors Community, Victims of Navy Yard Shooting

More than two months after a mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, employees and victims' families are still recovering.

Actor Gary Sinise and his music group, the Lt. Dan Band, gave a free performance on Tuesday for those affected by the Navy Yard shooting more than two months ago.

According to the United Service Organizations, the audience totaled more than 1,900. 

The concert at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall was given to honor Navy Yard employees and their families, giving them an uplifting experience so they can "heal and rebuild" after the September shooting, a USO release said. 

Sinise, who played Lieutenant Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump and won an Emmy for his television role as George Wallace, has worked to show appreciation for public service workers since 2011 when he founded the Gary Sinise foundation, the release said. Tuesday's concert was put on by both the foundation and the USO. 

According to news coverage of the Tuesday performance, audience members called the concert "encouraging." Fox 5 interviewed Sinise and audience members, including victims' family members. 

“The men and women serving at Navy Yard have been through so much, and it’s important to be there for them to show them our support,” said Sinise in the USO release. “With this concert it is my hope that it will serve as a reminder that they are not alone and not forgotten during this difficult time."

The mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard on Sept. 16 ended with thirteen people killed, including the shooter who was a former Navy reservist, and several more injured. 

It has been more than two months since the shooting, but the effects of the tragic event on employees and victims' families are still coming to the surface.

The family of a Reston victim filed a lawsuit against the government for negligence on Tuesday. And a police officer who was shot in both legs is still seeking help with his recovery. 

“For the USO, and for Gary Sinise to do this for the survivors and the families of the victims of the Navy Yard is truly, truly a special thing," Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said in the USO release. 


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