Vigil to be held to remember victims of Winthrop shooting

The community in Winthrop will come together Thursday night to remember the victims of the violence last weekend.

A candlelight vigil is set for 7 p.m. Thursday on the lawn outside Winthrop Town Hall.

“The Winthrop Police Department is treating the security of this vigil and the safety of mourners and attendees with upmost care and consideration,” Winthrop Police Chief Terence Delehanty said in a press release. “As we are expecting relatives of both murder victims to attend and speak, it is our aim to provide a proper, safe and solemn platform on which to grieve and remember the lives lost.”

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The vigil will honor Air Force veteran Ramona Cooper and retired Massachusetts State Police trooper David Green.

Investigators said the suspected gunman, Nathan Allan, had written racist and anti-Semitic messages and drawings of swastikas.

Police said he may have been on his way to a synagogue before crashing a stolen box truck and shooting and killing Cooper and Green.

There will be a significant police presence at the vigil, and Winthrop police said security will be a top priority.

No backpacks, handbags, coolers or bags of any kind will be permitted.

“While there have not been specific threats received against the vigil, the Winthrop Police Department and its public safety partners are taking all precautions,” town leaders said in a press release.

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Town offices and the Winthrop Public Library will close at 4 p.m. on Thursday to prepare for the service.

Representatives from a multitude of support services, including the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, religious organizations, the Winthrop Public Health Crisis Intervention Team, the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center and the Boston Public Health Commission, will be present to assist residents who may be experiencing emotional responses, as well as provide support and resources for dealing with trauma.

School adjustment counselors and other school representatives also will be present at the vigil. The Winthrop Public Health Department will be on-site and available in the Harvey Hearing Room on the ground floor of Town Hall to connect with residents in need of support or counseling services.

In addition to Thursday’s vigil, Green will be honored and remembered as he is laid to rest Friday.

Visiting hours will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Winthrop cemetery.

Services for Cooper haven’t been announced.

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