The bloodshed at Fort Hood continued to resonate Friday in North Texas, where residents showed support in words, deeds and silence.

Donors streamed through the Red Cross blood center in Farmers Branch throughout the day.

"I'm glad to see so many people lined up," said Jan Barr of Dallas, who heard about the donor clinic from co-workers. "This is something very small compared to what other people are doing."

Early Friday, there was already a sizable waiting list, and the center was on pace to smash its daily average for donations, Red Cross spokesman Cameron Ballantyne said.

Mark Gorton, a reservist at the former Carswell Field in Fort Worth, was one of the first donors to show up.

"Probably all of the victims have been overseas at war, but it's terrible to come back home and have this happen in your own backyard," said Gorton, who has been stationed in Kuwait.

In downtown Dallas, nine women were spontaneously moved to silent prayer just after 1:30 p.m. – exactly 24 hours after the massacre in Fort Hood began.

The moment would have passed unnoticed, if not for pure chance.

Marvelyn Cotropia of Heath and eight friends visiting from Maryland passed beneath the bells of Thanks-Giving Square.

They took photos, and then Dawn Dellinger suggested they take a moment.

For "all the troubles we're having in our world," she said.

And so they did, unaware that at that second people at the Capitol, the Pentagon and all over the country were also bowing their heads to mark the tragedy.

"We hadn't even thought of it," Dianne Flury said afterward. "But we should have."

Cotropia, whose cousin lives on the Army post, said she was thankful she had marked the moment – even if she hadn't remembered it.

"It was just God's will at the time," she said. "That makes it more potent."