In Memoriam: Victims of the Pulse Nightclub Shooting

On June 12, 2016, a gunman opened fire at Pulse Nightclub, a gay club in Orlando, Florida. At just after two in the morning, twenty nine year old Omar Mateen entered the nightclub with a handgun and a semi-automatic rifle, where he proceeded to kill forty nine people and injure fifty three others.

Victims

- Akyra Monet Murray, 18

Akyra had just graduated at the top of her class from West Catholic Preparatory High School in Philadelphia, and had plans to play basketball in college. She visited Pulse during a vacation with her family, to celebrate her graduation and visit her brother.

- Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21

One of the youngest victims, Alejandro had recently immigrated from Cuba. Little information has been released about him.

- Amanda Alvear, 25

Amanda worked as a pharmacy technician, and was a nursing student at University of South Florida. She had gone to Pulse with a group of friends, including fellow victim Mercedez Flores. She was said by family members to be sociable, kind, and a fierce ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

- Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28

Angel was a Puerto Rican immigrant who was preparing to begin a job as an ophthalmic technician. He was described as easygoing, adventurous, and responsible.

- Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25

Originally from Puerto Rico, Anthony was a dancer, choreographer, and drag queen in Orlando. He had a degree in education, and was described as kind, respectful, and caring to everyone around him.

- Antonio Davon Brown, 29

Antonio was a university graduate with a criminal justice degree, and a captain in the US Army Reserves. He was described as humorous, hard-working, and optimistic.

- Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49

Brenda McCool was a mother to eleven children and a two-time cancer survivor. She was at Pulse with a son and a niece, both of whom survived after Brenda told them to run. She was described by a cousin as "hilarious, loving, stellar, and a fierce LGBT advocate".

- Christopher “Drew” Leinonen, 32

Drew was at Pulse with his boyfriend, Juan Guerrero, who was also killed in the attack. In high school, Drew founded a gay-straight alliance, which earned him a humanitarian award. He enjoyed film and meeting new people.

- Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24

Christopher was a worker at a bank, a lover of salsa dancing, and a loyal friend.

- Cory James Connell, 21

Cory was a student of sports journalism at Valencia Community College. According to his brother, Cory enjoyed sports and had dreams of becoming a firefighter or paramedic, as he was altruistic and always willing to lend a helping hand. Cory was at Pulse with his girlfriend, who survived the attack.

- Darryl Roman Burt II, 29

Darryl was an avid participant in volunteer work and spent a lot of time trying to make an impact on the lives of others. He was personable, easygoing, hard-working, and professional.

- Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32

The night of the attack, Deonka was working as a bartender at Pulse.

- Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30

An accountant from Orlando, Eddie's last texts were to his mother, as he sent her updates of the attack. He loved accessorizing with jewellery and making others laugh.

- Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34

Edward was a well-liked man who worked as a manager at a LGBT travel company. He was known for his black top hat, and loved to travel and make friends.

- Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25

Enrique lived in Brooklyn, where he studied social work and worked in home health care. He made a trip to Orlando for a friend's birthday, and planned to attend New York's Puerto Rican Day Parade when he returned home.

- Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36

Eric was an artistic, fun loving man who loved to dance. He had married his husband only a year prior to the attack.

- Frank Hernandez Escalante, 27

Frank was originally from Texas, but moved to Orlando for work three years prior to the attack. He was at Pulse with his partner, but the two became separated in the chaos.

- Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50

Franky was a professional dancer, specializing in traditional dance of Puerto Rico, where he was from. He had no children, but was very close with his nieces and nephews, whom he cherished deeply.

- Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25

Geraldo was a Dominican man who lived in Puerto Rico, where he attended acting school. He had taken a trip to Orlando to attend a concert: an early birthday gift to himself. He was one of the last victims to be formally identified.

- Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25

Gilberto planned on going to nursing school in September. He had an associates degree as a pulmonary technician, and had also been to cosmetology school. He was known for being happy and caring, often going out of his way to be there for others.

- Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19

Jason was an aspiring photographer, and a student at Southern Technical College in Orlando. He was described by friends as "bright, happy, and a friend to everyone else".

- Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40

According to friends, Javier was a Gucci salesman who loved life and adventure. He was an artistic man with a talent for makeup, humour, and dancing.

- Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez, 27

Jean Rodriguez was described by friends and family as "a walking teddy bear." He was a hardworking and loyal man who had recently bought his first home, which he had purchased as a place for his mother to live.

- Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35

Jean Mendez Perez was at Pulse with his partner, Luis Wilson Leon, who was also tragically killed in the attack. They were a couple who turned heads when they walked through a door, both for their looks and their magnetic personalities. Jean enjoyed sports, jokes, fitness, and trying new fragrances.

- Jerald Arthur Wright, 31

A Disneyworld employee, Jerald was an immigrant from Ecuador. He was soft-spoken but friendly, and loved his job. Reportedly, Jerry went to Pulse to celebrate Cory Connell's birthday.

- Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32

Joel grew up in Mexico and worked in construction in Orlando.

- Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24

Jonathan worked in Orlando as an assistant producer for a Spanish television network.

- Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25

A resident of Mexico, Juan Martinez had been visiting Orlando to spend time with family. He worked as a hotel housekeeper, but had aspirations of becoming a hair stylist.

- Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37

Juan Rivera had attended Pulse with his partner, Luis Conde, for a friend's birthday party. He was the co-owner of a local hair salon, where he was described by a client as "the god of hairs".

- Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22

Juan Guerrero enjoyed fitness, video games, and going out with friends. He attended the University of Central Florida, and worked as telemarketer outside of studies. The night of the attack, Juan was at Pulse with his boyfriend, Drew, with whom he had plans to marry. A joint funeral was held instead.

- K.J. Morris, 37

KJ was a Pulse bouncer and former high school basketball player,

- Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25

Leroy had gone to Pulse with his partner, Xavier. He worked as an apartment leasing agent, and loved to perform for others.

- Luis Conde, 39

Luis and his husband of thirteen years, Juan Rivera, had gone to Pulse to celebrate a friend's birthday. Luis was a makeup artist, and co-owned a hair salon.

- Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37

Hailing from Puerto Rico, Luis Wilson-Leon was a shoe store manager who loved to dance.

- Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20

A dancer and barista, Omar attended high school in Tennessee, and graduated in 2015.

- Luis Vielma, 22

Luis was an employee of Universal Studios, where he worked at the Harry Potter ride. He was a student at Seminole State College of Florida, where he studied emergency medical services. He loved soccer and dancing, and put effort into making everyone around him feel included and acknowledged.

- Martin Benitez Torres, 33

Martin was attending university, where he intended to get a degree to become a pharmacist technician. He had recently moved to Florida from Puerto Rico.

- Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26

Mercedez was a Target employee from New York who had gone to Pulse with her best friend, Amanda. She loved music and travelling. At the time of her death, Mercedez was a student of literature at Valencia College.

- Miguel Angel Honorato, 30

Miguel was married with three sons: aged fifteen, two, and one. He managed a Mexican restaurant in Orlando, and attended Pulse after an invite from a couple friends. Miguel liked travelling, dogs, and spending time with his children and family.

- Oscar A. Aracena-Montero, 26

Oscar went to Pulse with his long-term boyfriend, Simon Carillo-Fernandez, with whom he had recently purchased a home. An immigrant from the Dominican Republic, Oscar was personable and generous.

- Paul Terrell Henry, 41

Paul was a father of two who loved to laugh, dance, and meet new people.

- Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22

Peter worked at UPS and is remembered by customers as someone who was friendly and humorous.

- Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33

Rodolfo was a Biologics Assistant at a blood bank, where he was greatly liked and respected. He was known for his charisma and his unique sense of style, including the bowtie he often wore.

- Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33

Shane was a talented singer, often performing at clubs and weddings. In university, he performed as a member of the gospel choir, and graduated with a communications degree.

- Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31

Simon had recently returned from a trip to Niagara Falls with his partner, Oscar.

- Stanley Almodovar III, 23

Stanley was a pharmacy technician who loved his job and his family.

- Tevin Crosby, 25

Tevin graduated from high school in North Carolina, and went on to study business administration in university. He was the director of operations for a marketing firm in Michigan, and was visiting family in Orlando for the weekend.

- Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35

Xavier was a dancer and the father of a five year old boy.

-Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24

Yilmary was a married mother of two who had gone to Pulse with her brother in law, William, and a close friend. William was the only survivor.

Sources & Further Reading

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/orlando/27-pulse-survivors-family-members-and-first-responders-share-their-stories/Slideshow/30943783

https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/17/us/orlando-shooting-survivors-account/index.html

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/aliciamelvillesmith/nightclub-shooting-orlando-florida#.ssZxvrdjY

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2016/06/us/orlando-attack-victims/

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/06/12/us/what-happened-at-the-orlando-nightclub-shooting.html