VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It's easy to remember where we were and what we were doing when tragedy struck on May 31, 2019.
For people passing by the memorials in Virginia Beach, the memory comes straight to their minds.
"I was actually at home listening to the news," said one woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, walking along the trail at Mount Trashmore.
"I was home at Sandbridge when it happened, and I was in total disbelief. I couldn't believe what I saw on my television," said Adam Meyer, a Virginia Beach resident who stood in front of Building Two at the Municipal Center.
Memorial sites put up each year like the "forget me not" flower at Mount Trashmore, or roses left behind by family members of the victims in front of Building Two, are reminding people more than just where they were and what they were doing.
People who never knew the victims, the survivors, or anyone else involved still took the time to pause and reflect on what happened three years ago.
"I just stopped, took a knee, and said a prayer for all the families and people who have passed. Just asked God to be with us every day at a time," said Meyer.
The woman who wished to remain unnamed at Mount Trashmore said she worked at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center years before the tragedy occurred. She said she thinks about that day often.
"Basically, I just go somewhere and just sit and reflect and remember what actually happened there," she said. "I didn't know anybody, but I did work down a long time ago, and it kind of hit a nerve...it really did."
Meyer said it's important to remember the 12 lives that were lost that day to stay connected with the rest of the community through memory, even if it is tragic.
"It's just really important because all these people have families, jobs. They were human beings," said Meyer. "They deserve to be remembered and be honored. They didn't deserve to die that day."
Building Two is currently under construction.
City leaders are working to turn it into the Virginia Beach Police Headquarters and the city's data center in the next several months.