Rochester offers spaces to talk, heal and grieve after Maplewood Park shooting

Hundreds of people witnessed a mass shooting at Maplewood Park in Rochester last week, where five were injured by the gunfire and two were killed. The trauma did not stop there.

In the aftermath of gun violence, we are forced to reckon with what we saw and heard and experienced.

Hundreds of people started fleeing when shots rang out at a community barbeque on July 28, interrupting what had otherwise been a joyful day. Some stopped to help the wounded, becoming first responders without training. Others, safe in their homes, were exposed to the violent scene through videos that spread across social media last week.

Some of that trauma persists as the shooters remain at-large .

More: ‘They don’t deserve your silence.' Investigation into Maplewood Park mass shooting continues

"Dozens of people were there when Tyasia (Manning) and Phylicia (Council) were killed," Dr. Shirley Greene, commissioner of the city's Department of Recreation and Human Services, said Monday. "All of these people will never be the same all because of the violent and selfish decisions made by other people."

Mental health services available after Maplewood Park shooting

The City of Rochester is offering mental health services to anyone impacted by the shooting at Maplewood Park. Free walk-in counseling will be available at the following locations this week:

• Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m.: Edgerton R-Center, 41 Backus St.
• Wednesday, Aug. 7, from 5 to 7 p.m.: Carter R-Center, 500 Carter St.
• Thursday, Aug. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m.: Thomas P Ryan R-Center, 530 Webster Ave.

Trained therapists will be on site to provide short-term support for individuals and connect them to long-term resources as needed. More sessions are likely to be announced soon and individuals who cannot make the evening hours should call 585-428-6630 for support, Greene said.

Help from the city's Person In Crisis team is available 24/7 by calling 211 or 988.

Mayor Malik Evans urged people to take advantage of the resources, acknowledging that seeking out mental health support is sometimes stigmatized in the Black community.

"This is something that has never really been done in Rochester before where we said to the entire community: If you feel affected, come to a place and talk to someone," Evans said. "At least let us get you connected. At least let us have a conversation about this. We think the mental health component is very, very important."

What are symptoms of mental health trauma after witnessing a shooting?

Dr. April Aycock, the Monroe County Director of Mental Health Services, said trauma will show up differently for every single person impacted by the shooting.

Some will draw inward, avoiding the topic. Many might find themselves inconsolable, with sudden bursts of tears. Others could see memories of the shooting surface in the middle of the night, waking with anxious thoughts.

Whatever your symptoms, she said the most important thing to understand is you are not alone. There are spaces ready to help you heal.

Some of that healing came in the form of community gatherings at Parcel 5 and Maplewood Park last week.

Evans said part of this effort is ensure gun violence is not normalized in Rochester.

"You can't get back to the regular days of life as if anything did not happen," he said.

"We have someone in a park that went there for a barbeque or to push their child on a swing, but then had to be met with gunfire," he added. "The implications of that are far-reaching."

— Kayla Canne covers community safety for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on police accountability, government surveillance and how individuals are impacted by violence. Follow her on Twitter @kaylacanne and @bykaylacanne on Instagram. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester offers spaces to talk, heal and grieve after Maplewood Park shooting