Maplewood Park, where Rochester police say two people were killed and five others were injured in a mass shooting, is back open, but the community is still searching for answers.

Police say shots were fired from multiple guns during a community barbeque Sunday with at least 100 people in attendance.

The two people killed have been identified as Tyasia Manning, 25, and Phylicia Council, 34. 

One mental health expert says witnessing an event like this can be traumatic, and in the coming days, weeks and months, those who did may experience a whirlwind of emotions.

“The event was absolutely horrifying and folks should recognize that any reaction would be normal,” said Dr. Autumn Gallegos, PhD., associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

She says after living through a trauma like this, it’s normal to feel scared, anxious, sad, or try to avoid people or places. 

“Really, trauma is cumulative,” she said. “So, for example, this may not be the first time some of these folks have experienced some type of traumatic event.”

Gallegos says it’s important that people know others can help.

“In the initial aftermath, a lot of these feelings that we would call part of traumatic stress or acute stress would be really normal and typical things that people should do is really connect with their community,” she said.

Gallegos suggests attending vigils, church, and communicating with friends and family. 

“When people are exposed to a traumatic event, a lot of it does get built up inside and people will try and make sense of it,” she said. “A lot of time, violence doesn’t make a lot of sense to us.”

She describes when it’s time to seek professional help.

“If folks are still feeling really low, depressed, having a hard time falling asleep, having a hard time staying asleep, feeling anxious or feeling like they keep reliving the incident in two or three months, that would be the time to probably connect with a mental help professional,” said Gallegos.

And Gallegos says sooner for those who know their history and have violent or traumatic exposure their past. 

“So talking to a professional can really help you normalize what you’re going through, make sense of what you’re going through and help you develop an accurate view of what happened and things that will be helpful for you to do to take care of yourself,” she said.

The message is that everyone responds to traumatic events in different ways, and the important thing is to recognize your feelings and seek help when needed.