'Feeling unsafe, anxious': Cary psychologist details Buffalo, NY shooting impact on minorities

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Images from Saturday's mass shooting in Buffalo, New York are creating trauma for people who weren't there. The gunmen targeted and killed ten African Americans. Something Cary Clinical Psychologist Dr. Tammie Moore says impacts the mind and body. It doesn't go away when it's time to head to work.

"It's easy to look at this incident as just a lone crazy of person, but the person of color you sit next to and work with every day sees it as a systemic problem." said Dr. Moore. "Makes people more anxious, more depressed. Trigger post-traumatic symptoms. Feeling on edge. Feeling unsafe."

According to Dr. Moore, when hate crimes happen its important companies create safe spaces for their employees to talk out their trauma. While at home, limit exposure to children but when questions arise explain sometimes bad things happen to good people.

"Listening to them, giving them a space to talk about it. Let them know they have people that love them," said Dr. Moore.

Conflicting headlines have referenced the shooter as a teen while others are calling him a man. It's something Dr. Moore says further re-traumatizes communities of color.

"If this person were 18 and Black, he's an armed gunman. If he's18 and White, he's a radicalized teenager," she said. "It's a huge impact on Black and Brown people in our society."