In front of the closed complex, a continuous flow of mourners could be seen on Monday, leaving flowers to add to a growing pile that extended across several storefronts. Among the visitors were many groups of women – mothers and daughters holding hands, friends consoling each other, and women holding onto their baby girls a little tighter.
Ms. Aravanopoulos and her daughter, Alexia Costa, were among those leaving flowers. They had returned to the mall to retrieve their car, which had been inaccessible since Saturday.
Feeling guilty about the close call on Saturday, Ms. Aravanopoulos expressed regret for insisting on shopping that day to find a dress for her daughter’s upcoming birthday. As a woman working in a male-dominated field, she has raised her daughters to always stand up for themselves.
“They think women won’t fight back,” she said.
Believing that the attacker targeted women, Ms. Aravanopoulos praised the quick actions of the female store managers who closed the shutters, potentially preventing a more tragic outcome.
Simone Scoppa, who was also present at the memorial, shared her concerns about incidents targeting women and the vulnerability felt by women in the mall setting.
“Where are a lot of women going to be on a Saturday afternoon?” Ms. Scoppa questioned. “You see the dads and the husbands on the loungers minding the bags, and the mothers breastfeeding.”
Yan Zhuang contributed reporting.
