June 12, 2016: Mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, FL leaves 49 people dead and 50 wounded.
One week before the mass shooting, the shooter, who worked as a security guard, purchased a Sig Sauer MCX semi-automatic assault rifle, and the next day purchased a Glock-17 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He was licensed to carry a firearm in Florida and used both weapons to carry out the mass shooting.
On June 12th around 2:00 a.m., with approximately 300 people in the nightclub, the shooter entered and began his rampage. Moments later with police and emergency services on the scene, the situation quickly escalated into “a hostage situation.” The shooter claimed to be wearing an explosive vest, was attempting to negotiate with law enforcement while threatening to place four of the hostages in bomb vests and detonate a bomb he’d placed in a parked vehicle outside the club.
At 5:02 a.m. police set off several detonations and, using an armored vehicle, breached the building. The shooter was killed in the shootout that followed. It was learned then that his claims about bombs and explosive vests were not true.
The Pulse Nightclub mass shooting is considered the deadliest single incident of violence against the LGBTQ community in u.s. history.
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, an article in The Guardian reported that “the Senate tried and failed to pass laws regarding background checks and gun control restrictions.” (1/16/17)
We Remember and We Say Their Names:
Stanley Almodovar III ~ Amanda Alvear ~ Ayala Ayala ~ Antonio D Brown ~ Darryl R Burt II ~ Luis O Ocasio-Capo ~ Luis D Conde ~ Cory J Connell ~ Tevin E Crosby ~ Peter O Gonzalez-Cruz ~ Anthony L Laureano-Disla ~ Deonka D Drayton ~ Simon A Carrillo-Fernandez ~ Leroy Valentin-Fernandez ~ Mercedes M Flores ~ Juan R Guerrero ~ Paul T Henry ~ Frank Hernandez ~ Miguel A Honorato ~ Geraldo A Ortiz-Jimenez ~ Jason B Josaphat ~ Eddie J Justice ~ Christopher A Leinonen ~ Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon ~ Alejandro Barrios-Martinez ~ Juan Chevez-Martinez ~ Brenda L Marquez-McCool ~ Gilberto Ramon Silva-Menendez ~ Oscar A Aracena-Montero ~ Kimberly Morris ~ Akyra Monet-Murray ~ Joel Rayon-Paniagua ~ Angel L Candelario-Padro ~ Jean C Mendez-Perez ~ Javier Jorge-Reyes ~ Enrique L Rios Jr ~ Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera ~ Jean C Nieves-Rodriguez ~ Xavier Emmanuel Serrano-Rosado ~ Christopher J Sanfeliz ~ Yilmary Rodriguez-Solivan ~ Edward Sotomayor Jr ~ Shane E Tomlinson ~ Martin Benitez-Torres ~ Jonathan A Camuy-Vega ~ Franky J Dejesus Velazquez ~ Juan P Rivera-Velazquez ~ Luis S Vielma ~ Jerald A Wright
