← Murder In America
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- [00:01]
Courtney Brown
Plan B is a backup birth control option that's there for you when things don't go according to plan. It specifically works after unprotected sex and before pregnancy occurs by temporarily delaying ovulation.
- [00:12]
Colin Browen
Plan B is available nationwide at all major retailers and through delivery apps like
- [00:17]
Courtney Brown
DoorDash, no ID, prescription or age requirement.
- [00:21]
Colin Browen
It's the number one OBGYN recommended brand
- [00:23]
Courtney Brown
of emergency contraception and it won't impact your future fertility. That's freedom to be Use as directed this episode is brought to you by Prime Obsession is in session, and this summer, Prime Originals have everything you want. Steamy romances, irresistible love stories, and the book to screen favorites you've already read twice off Campus Elle every year. After the Love Hypothesis, Sterling Point and more, Slow burns, second chances chemistry you can feel through the screen. Your next obsession is waiting.
- [00:58]
Narrator/Reporter
Watch only on Prime Warning the following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects.
- [01:12]
Courtney Brown
Trigger warnings from the stories we cover may include violence, rape, murder and offenses against children.
- [01:18]
Narrator/Reporter
This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned.
- [01:23]
Courtney Brown
In last week's episode, we dove into the history of Omar Mateen, a man who was full of contradictions. A bully who was bullied. An affectionate, doting father who ripped his son's toys in half in front of him and screamed in his face. An Islamic extremist who drank, swore, did drugs and rejected modesty. When Omar Mateen stepped into Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub, he was somehow all of these things at once. And at 2:02am when he lifted his two guns and fired, he became something else. A killer. But today's story isn't about Omar. It's not about his mission or his contradictions or his rage. It's about the people inside polls. It's about a fresh high school graduate, a couple celebrating buying their first home, a mother and son celebrating his 21st birthday. Today's story is about a group of people who came together to display acceptance, love and joy. A group of people who, despite the horrors they experienced, are still fighting for a better tomorrow. So this is the story of the Pulse nightclub shooting. I'm Courtney Brown.
- [02:34]
Narrator/Reporter
And I'm Colin Browen, and you're listening
- [02:37]
Courtney Brown
to Murder in America.
- [02:47]
Law Enforcement Officer
Sa.
- [03:39]
Narrator/Reporter
It was Latin fever night at Pulse, one of the club's most popular monthly events, and looking out over the dance floor, it was easy to see why Latin pop, reggaeton and EDM thrummed through the speakers moving everyone on the dance floor as one. Drinks were flowing. People from all over the world, from all kinds of backgrounds were bonding and enjoying their freedom. One survivor told the Guardian. We were dancing with people from all walks of life, gay and straight, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers. There was a group of four women and they were saying things like, oh, Poppy, look at you. You've got moves. White boy's got moves. We were drinking and making friends with strangers. That was the kind of vibe inside Pulse as the clock ticked past. One a.m. that night had been a night of carefree connection. Many guests captured photos and videos of the scene. Couples salsa dancing under neon lights, friends posing with Snapchat filters, strangers bonding over a drink. But soon enough, their night of fun would come to an end.
- [04:43]
Courtney Brown
As the clock ticked closer to 2am the club started to wind down. A classic point in the night. You don't have to go home, but you can stay here. People were scrambling to find Ubers or Lyfts outside. Inside, people were finishing their drinks or squeezing in a few last dances. They wanted to make the most of their night before it was time to go back to reality. But a very different reality, one that none of them could have ever imagined, was about to unfold because outside the nightclub, a car pulled up to the building. The driver had just been inside the club minutes earlier, eyeing the crowd walking on the outskirts just as he had done his whole life. This time, as he pushed open the doors of Pulse, he didn't present an ID. He didn't pay the $10 tab. The this time he rushed through the south entrance, bypassing an off duty police officer who was working security, and in his hands he held a Glock 9mm semi automatic pistol and in the other a rifle. There was a bag slung over his shoulder which carried enough ammo to kill everyone inside and then some. But before him, there were over 300 people still inside the nightclub. However, to the gunmen, they weren't people. There were 300 targets he could take out his rage on. 300 people who had no idea the terrors that were about to unfold. And by the time anyone even laid eyes on him, it was already too late. The gunman was standing among them on the dance floor with his assault rifle, raised his finger on the trigger, and at 2:02am he squeezed that trigger. At first, few people reacted. Many thought that the sound of gunfire was just a part of the music. One survivor, Chris Hansen, told Wsen, I thought it was a Ying Yang twist song or something. It went with the beat, End quote. Even One of the DJs, Ray Rivera, believed that the sound was harmless. At first, he thought that it could have been firecrackers outside, or maybe even the speaker wires misbehaving. But wanting to be sure, he turned down the music he was playing. And that's when he heard it loud and clear. Gunshots. He turned the music all the way down and screamed out to the crowd, get out.
- [07:03]
Narrator/Reporter
Get out. There's a guy with a gun.
- [07:05]
Courtney Brown
But for the people standing right in front of the gunman, they had no time to react. And in an instant, a sea of people dropped to the ground. One of those people was Luis Sergio Vielma. Luis was just 22 years old, out for a fun night with his friends Tony Marrero and Laura Vargas. Laura was putting her ID away for the night. She had just gotten her last drink, a Heineken that she planned to finish with Luis. Luis was the type who always savored a last dance. And unfortunately, that night was no different. As Laura, Tony and Luis walked away from the bar to enjoy the music blaring over the speakers, their world changed forever. Laura told NBC Miami, I remember everything. I went around the corner and I saw the man. He was reloading his gun. Before I could even touch the floor, he shot me. End quote. Laura crumbled to the ground, pain radiating through her from around that, burrowed through her torso and. And exploded out her back. She fell to the floor, breathless, as screams and gunshots erupted all around her. She wiggled her toes to make sure she wasn't paralyzed and at times, to keep herself awake and alive. But she didn't know where Luis was. She didn't know what had happened to him. Neither did her friend Tony. As soon as the gunshots erupted towards them, he too dropped to the ground. And around him, chaos unfolded. People ran in all directions, looking for cover. Some still danced, unaware of what was happening. And then there was no more denying it. Tony said he watched as, quote, people's bodies were blown apart right in front of him, still far from the exit, he army crawled to a nearby couch, wading through a sea of bodies. There, he tucked himself under the couch and played dead. But that only worked for so long. At some point soon after, Tony, Tony said that the shooter, quote, saw that I didn't have much blood, so he shot me in the back, end quote. Laura suffered that same fate. After lying on the ground for a few moments, wiggling her toes, she heard the gunman's footsteps growing closer. She told NBC, that's when he came back and shot me again. And that's when I knew he wasn't just here to hurt people, he was here to kill people. End quote. Ultimately, both Tony and Laura would eventually make it out alive, but their friend Luis wasn't so lucky. He was killed instantly by a single shot as he and his friends walked away from the bar, eager to soak in the last bit of joy the night had to offer.
- [09:45]
Narrator/Reporter
Luis wasn't just a person who enjoyed fun, he embodied it. His younger sister described him affectionately as a total goofball. He had graduated from Seminole high school in 2011 and and Seminole State College in 2014. Soon after graduating, however, he re enrolled, wanting to train as an emt. In the meantime he worked at Universal Orlando where he operated the ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey as a self proclaimed Potterhead. It was a perfect fit for Louise and came with perks he could pass along to his younger siblings. He was the oldest of three and throughout his life he had taken on the role of a mentor within his family with grace and excitement. Whenever there was a problem, his younger siblings went to him and whenever they wanted to have some fun, they did too. A lot of the time that meant watching the movie White Chicks together on the couch while enjoying their mother's incredible tacos, a recipe passed down for generations. Luis would quote the movie word for word, doing the voices and even translating the lines into Spanish so his parents could understand. That summer, he was looking forward to being his younger sister's escort at her Cinderella themed quinceanera. In fact, that very night, as he lay on the Pulse floor, his mother and sister were in Mexico looking for a dress to buy. Tragically, Luis never got to escort his sister to her quinceanera. He never got to see her graduate. He never got to say goodbye. His sister remembers him as someone who left behind footprints of love and kindness everywhere he went. But his life path was cut short in an instant for no reason whatsoever. And sadly, his death was just the
- [11:22]
Courtney Brown
beginning of the carnage as everyone began to realize that they were in the midst of a mass shooting. Panic ensued. There was almost no time to react as people began to drop to the ground one on top of the other. Soon enough, the music and laughter of the night was replaced by wails of pain, confusion and chaos. But some people still didn't know what was going on. Andy Moss told NBC News, quote, you're sitting there having a great time at a club and then you hear what sounds like fireworks or balloons popping and you assume it's part of the show. And then you hear people start screaming and the sound doesn't stop, people start falling. You realize it's not a show anymore. And at that point I realized I needed to get out, end quote. But there were hundreds of people all coming to that same realization within just seconds of one another, and many didn't even know how to get out. Janiel Gonzalez told NBC. There was no clear exit sign at the club, so we didn't know which door to take or where to go. Those who were familiar with the exits were flooded towards them on all sides of the building, unintentionally trampling anyone in their path. Fight or flight was in full effect, Janiel Gonzalez continued. People were screaming, help me, help me, I'm trapped. People were getting trampled. There were guys, some of them had gotten shot. There was blood all over the floor. I remember telling myself, this is not how I die. It's not today. This isn't really happening, end quote. But it was happening. And Janiel knew that if he didn't get out of the building, he was going to die. Luckily, he made it outside and quickly ran to a 711 nearby. But others never even got close to the door. Much like Luis, many on the dance floor found themselves eye to eye with the gunmen. And rather than run, some chose to fight for their loved ones.
- [13:22]
Narrator/Reporter
When the shooting began, 23 year old Stanley Almodovar III was walking out of the bathroom at Pulse. He emerged onto a dance floor where some people were still dancing, some people were running and some were already on the floor, dead. He saw the flash of the muzzle to his side. And there, methodically peppering the room with bullets, was the shooter. Stanley could have turned right back into the bathroom. He could have hidden. He could have run for the door to save himself, but he didn't. When he saw the gunman, he didn't see a man. He saw a monster that had to be stopped. And he didn't hesitate. Stanley raced through the crowd, shoving people to the ground, out of the path of the wall of bullets. He yelled out at the shooter, drawing attention to himself. Hey, where are you going? As he tried to rush the shooter in an attempt to save dozens of lives, pushing himself in front of a female friend in the process, he was shot once, twice, three times. A bullet lanced through his stomach, another grazed his side and one sliced into his chest, dropping him to the floor. Stanley lay there, but he didn't lie there alone. The friend he saved, who has remained anonymous, knelt by his side in the chaos as others raced for the doors. He grabbed her hand and told her, call my mom. You have to call my mom. Call my mom. His voice grew weaker with every word. His friend immediately grabbed his phone and called his mother, Rosalia Ramos. Rosalia was dead, asleep, 35 miles away in Clermont, Florida, when her ringing phone startled her out of her sleep.
- [14:55]
Courtney Brown
She answered it only to hear a frantic voice on the other end, a voice she didn't recognize. Roselia told the Boston Herald. Quote, she said, your son is here. You have to come. You have to come. She was crying. She tried to save my son. I said, where? Why? Give me the address. End quote. Imagine for a moment waking up to that. Not just the news that your son has been in a shooting, but the sounds of him actively in one. The voice of a woman, a total stranger, trying to save him and you, miles away, unable to do anything for your child. Now, whether Rosalia drove to Pulse or was even told that's where her son was, we don't know. But when the call ended, the girl who had called his mother sat at Stanley's side. She took off her shirt and pressed it to the wound on his chest, trying to stop the bleeding. All the while, more shots rattled off around them. She held Stanley's hand as he begged her, don't let me go. Please don't let me go. And she didn't. She stayed there through it all, all the way until he took his final breath.
- [16:03]
Narrator/Reporter
Stanley was just 23 years old, and if anything describes him as a person, it's him throwing himself in front of others and putting himself in danger just to do what was right. Born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, Stanley was always a brave, self assured, honorable person in the face of homophobia and a culture of machismo. He had no problem dyeing his hair every color of the rainbow, practicing bold, creative makeup styles, and openly discussing his experience as a gay man. He was a vibrant, fearless personality, an unashamed person whose final act was to protect the community that he loved so dearly. His mother put it perfectly when speaking to the Boston Herald. He tried to save other people because he was a good boy. He was my son. Across the room at Pulse, about the same time that Stanley's life was taken, another mother found herself in a very different situation. That night. She wasn't on the phone miles away. She was standing on the dance floor, watching as gunfire exploded towards her son.
- [17:04]
Courtney Brown
Brenda Marquez McCool was a fighter. At 49 years old, she had battled cancer twice. First breast cancer and then soon after, bone cancer, all while raising 11 children. As a single mom. But as 2016 came about, Brenda found herself struggling with a new battle. Depression. Her son, 22 year old Isaiah Hernandez, told the Stroud Courier, I remember the day she came to me breaking down about how depressed she was out of my 22 years of life. I've never seen her cry like that. End quote. But Isaiah offered his mom a solution. He knew she loved to dance, something she hadn't gone out to do in many years. So wanting to help his mom, Isaiah invited Brenda to go out with him. She was the type of woman who felt most at home when immersed in her Puerto Rican heritage. So she took up salsa dancing, something she had loved all her life. And with every night out with her son by her side, she felt more and more like herself. Her spark was back. And Brenda's spark was a hard one to miss. Everyone that knew her said she loved to laugh. She gave her children every part of herself, and at the same time, she allowed them to be who they truly were. When Isaiah came out to her, she didn't hesitate to become a fierce advocate for LGBTQ rights. Just two days before the shooting, Brenda posted on her Facebook, while we teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life's all about. Embrace, encourage, acknowledge, and love them unconditionally. End quote. That night at Pulse, Brenda showed the real power of unconditional love. She was on the dance floor with Isaiah as the first shots rang out. When she saw the gun sweep towards her son, she snapped, get down. And she immediately threw herself in front of Isaiah, her back to the shooter, placing herself in the line of fire. Her sister in law, Ada, told cbs, that's how much she loved her kids. If it weren't for her, he would have been shot. Brenda didn't even give it a second thought. And though mortally wounded, she continued to fight for him. According to her niece, as she and Isaiah made their way towards the exit, Brenda began to struggle from blood loss. Isaiah slowed down, trying to save his mom, but she pushed him forward, telling him, go, just run. Isaiah did what he was told, and because of that, he survived. However, Brenda sadly dropped to the ground, and she would become one of the victims of this massacre. And the wounds Isaiah carried from losing his mother that day ran deep. Here he is, speaking at a memorial for her.
- [19:51]
Survivor or Witness
My mom was the best mom out there. I never thought that her life would be ended right in front of my eyes. I kept so positive that she was gonna make everybody who knew my mom knew she was the mom everybody wanted. She always took everybody in with open arms. She loved everybody equally, no matter what. I just want to thank everybody for the support because she literally loved everyone. I wouldn't trade my mom for the world.
- [20:51]
Narrator/Reporter
Near Brenda and Isaiah on the dance floor, 24 year old Yilmari Rodriguez Solivan was enjoying a much needed night out. The 24 year old had just recently moved to Florida with her husband from Puerto Rico and had spent months settling into her new home with their two young children, including a three month old little boy. When her brother in law Will Borges came for a visit, she and her best friend Jonathan Antonio Vega decided to take him out to show him a good time. Mary, as she liked to be called, was described by her sister Natalie as an amazing daughter and an extraordinary sister. She was the most loving and caring person you could ever meet. Her smile lit up the room and her laughter brought a smile to your heart. Before going out that night, Mary took a photo of that signature smile. It's a photo that should have been memorable for good reasons, not for bad. It was her first night out in a long time, her first night ever going to pulse and tragically, it would be her last. When gunfire broke out on the dance floor, Mary and her friend John didn't have time to react. Desperate to save her, John threw himself on top of Mary, shielding her from the bullets. But sadly, neither of them made it. Both passed away. Their bodies were found hours later, with Jonathan still covering her from the gunfire that had long disappeared. When Mary's husband learned of her death and John's sacrifice, he posted on Facebook, I swear my heart has a ladder tall enough to reach you both. Mary, you leave me with a pain that I never thought I would feel.
- [22:24]
Courtney Brown
Jonathan was nine days shy of his 25th birthday. Like Mary, he had recently moved to Florida from Puerto Rico. For Jonathan, the move meant more possibilities to pursue his dream of being a television producer. And very quickly, those dreams were becoming a reality. Just a few weeks prior to the shooting, Jonathan got a job working for a children's singing competition show called La Voss Kids. He was hired as an assistant producer back home in Puerto Rico. His family was immensely proud of him. He was always known to pop in for surprise visits, and when he couldn't, he'd call his relatives. Sometimes he'd call his mom several times a day. One of his professors would later say, he always smiled and he had those little holes in the side, his dimples. He didn't have a way of looking like the other students. He was always sparkling. Jonathan and Mary were two people with a Lot to be proud of and a lot to look forward to. But neither of them got a chance at that future. Instead, they bled out on the floor of Pulse together. And sadly, the night of bloodshed had just begun.
- [23:38]
Narrator/Reporter
The level of destruction in such a short amount of time is almost incomprehensible. Just seconds after the gunman entered the club and began to fire, off duty Orlando Police Department Detective Adam Grueler realized that they were in an active shooter situation.
- [23:53]
Law Enforcement Officer
Shots fired. 1912 South Orange Avenue. Shots fired. Multiple down. All right, we got multiple down. I only got one officer here with me. I still have subjects inside. Continue to shoot. I need people here now, guys.
- [24:05]
Narrator/Reporter
After Detective Grueler called for backup, he didn't waste a second. Immediately he started looking for the shooter instead. He saw two people running towards the south exit. Then, just as quickly, he saw the gunman. Before Grueler could act, the shooter fired his gun at the two people trying to escape. They dropped to the ground just outside. Detective Grueler also saw the gun used to shoot them. He knew instantly that his handgun was no match for the high caliber rifle. But it didn't matter. He had to try. Gruhler dove behind a vehicle and fired several rounds at the shooter, who was standing at the double doors with his weapon, continuing to murder as many fleeing people as he could. But the second the gunman realized someone was returning fire, he disappeared deeper into the club. And from there, many more would lose their lives inside.
- [24:55]
Courtney Brown
34 year old Edward Sotomayor Jr. Didn't think of himself when the gunshots rang out. He thought of his partner, Luis Rojas. The two had gone to the club that night to enjoy a night of dancing in a community that loved them. But with the night ticking down, Louise had gone outside to walk one of their friends to her car. So Edward and Louise were apart when the gunshots went off and chaos ensued inside. Eddie knew that he couldn't make it out the door. And he knew that if Louise tried to get back in, it might cost him his life. So while shots were fired all around him, he dared to take out his phone, illuminating himself to send Luis a text telling him not to come back inside. The full texts have never been released to the public, but Luis did as he was told. For the next 20 minutes, he sat outside helpless, hearing the gunshots going off in the club. Soon enough, he received another text from Eddy. It read, quote, I'm safe. I'm hiding. But as you'll see, staying hidden at Pulse was a challenge in and of itself. Tragically, Eddie was shot in his hiding place somewhere near the dance floor. And the loss of him wasn't just a tragedy for Luis, it was a loss for the world. Because Eddie had opened doors for people all his life.
- [26:16]
Narrator/Reporter
He worked as a dedicated brand manager for a gay travel agency called Alanchuk Travel. He was well known throughout the Orlando area for helping others see the world as not just a brand manager, but a tour guide, turning travel into unforgettable vacations. During the trips, he would wear a top hat so travelers could find him in a crowd and never feel lost. This earned him the nickname Top Hat Eddie, which he adored. He had worked tirelessly to coordinate gay cruises to areas where many people felt they couldn't travel safely, wanting to teach people how to be resolute and confident in who they were. The owner of the travel agency, Al Ferguson, told Orlando Weekly, for Eddie, travel was the ultimate freedom, but freedom required bravery. He was not afraid, and therefore he taught all of us we won't be afraid. Before the shooting at Pulse, he had been working tirelessly to coordinate the first gay cruise to Cuba, a groundbreaking venture that reflected both his ambition and dedication to the LGBTQ community. And Eddie had a personality as vibrant as the trips he planned. He loved everything sugary, Sour Patch Kids, Chick Fil a lemonade, and cherished his family deeply. His sister shared how, as a child, he convinced their mother to let them dance on a coffee table to Straight up by Paula Abdul, complete with sunglasses and toy microphones. He carried that same energy with him all his life, breaking boundaries, sharing his personality with pride, and sharing his love with everyone who knew him. Tragically, he was shot down after saving his partner by a man who embodied the complete opposite of everything Eddie was. Following his death, his partner Luis posted on Facebook, my last moments with you, you marked my life forever. My heart will always have you present. You were a one of a kind partner. Thank you for the laugh. Thank you for the love. Thank you for the ride. Thank you for the joy. No matter where life takes me, I your presence will never be forgotten. 3:64. Soon. 3:65. The clock is ticking, but I know you're still here. Always and forever.
- [28:23]
Courtney Brown
Every couple that was at Pulse that night or had a partner at Pulse was faced with their own personal hell. Some, like Luis and Eddie, were separated by the chaos. Some cowered together, terrified. And others. Others were forced to try and keep their soulmate alive as gunshots rang out all around them. Two of those people were Paula Blanco and Corey Conal. The couple had met while playing football together. On a co ed team in Orlando. And right away, they weren't the only ones rooting for their relationship.
- [28:56]
Paula or Friend of Paula
I met Cory. He was the quarterback and his whole family just pushed him to like, talk to me.
- [29:03]
Colin Browen
We took Corey aside.
- [29:04]
Survivor or Witness
We were like, Corey, whatever you're doing,
- [29:06]
Colin Browen
whoever you're doing with, stop and go
- [29:08]
Narrator/Reporter
talk to her because she's the real deal.
- [29:10]
Survivor or Witness
And because if you would have seen
- [29:11]
Narrator/Reporter
them instantly the first day, you're like, there's something there.
- [29:14]
Paula or Friend of Paula
I've seen my brother like happy and smiling.
- [29:17]
Colin Browen
But like when he was with her, she like, I just felt like another
- [29:20]
Paula or Friend of Paula
part of him came out.
- [29:22]
Colin Browen
It was so cute.
- [29:23]
Courtney Brown
As you can tell, Corey was incredibly close with his family. And despite being a big buff football quarterback studying sports and journalism, he always had a soft spot for his sisters. Not long before the shooting, he took time out of his schedule to go shopping with his teenage sister, trying to help her find the perfect shoes for prom. When he discovered his older sister Amanda was pregnant with her first child, Cory was over the moon, excitedly dreaming about what it would be like to be an uncle. And Paula brought out that softness and love even more. As soon as they began dating, Corey gave her the nickname Sunshine. He even let her drive his car. He named Eleanor, which according to Corey's loved ones, was the ultimate sign of love and trust. When Paula joined the Orlando Anarchy, a football team, Corey was always there to support not just her, but her entire team. Here is Paula and one of her teammates discussing Corey's role on the team he coached.
- [30:27]
Paula or Friend of Paula
He wouldn't miss a practice, he wouldn't miss a game. That's one of the things that got us even closer, was football.
- [30:36]
Colin Browen
From there, he was just part of the team. He was no longer just, you know, Paula's Cory. He was our Cory.
- [30:44]
Courtney Brown
Corey became not just a coach and not just a boyfriend, but a best friend to many on the team. So much so that after the season ended in the first week of June, the group decided to go to Pulse together for a night of fun. Paula loved to salsa dance and Corey was eager to learn from her.
- [31:02]
Paula or Friend of Paula
It just felt like a special night having him there with my teammates dancing. Have a great time.
- [31:10]
Courtney Brown
The group spent the whole night together dancing until it was nearly closing time around 2am Paula stood by the front door preparing to leave with Corey and a few of her teammates. But then another teammate nudged Paula. She asked her, you want to stay for this last song? Paula laughed and agreed. Her friend Jaqui describes what unfolded just seconds later.
- [31:33]
Colin Browen
I turned around to go grab my drink and to go start stacking the cups up. And you just. I just hear the pa, pa, pa, pa, pa, you know, five, you know, and I can turn around and just tell Paula, don't worry about it. It was just fireworks. And she, you know, she's looking at me with her eyes wide open, like, kind of scared. She's like, I just got shot.
- [31:56]
Narrator/Reporter
Paula was shot in the hand within seconds of the gunman entering the nightclub.
- [32:00]
Paula or Friend of Paula
I just panicked. I could feel the bullets going across me. I could just feel them. And I was just ready. I was like, this is my time. I'm gonna get hit anytime now. And I just stuck. And the first thing I thought was, okay, I can't bleed out and I can't faint. So I grabbed my forearm really tight.
- [32:24]
Narrator/Reporter
Paula tightened her hand around her forearm, trying desperately to cut off some of the circulation to her hand, to stop the blood that was gushing from the wound. That was enough of a problem. But then another problem unfolded in front of her. She watched in horror as Corey, the love of her life, fell to the ground. Before Paula had a chance to react, Jacques grabbed her by the other arm, ducking them both behind a nearby couch. There, the two lay down, trying to hide from the shooter. All the while, Jacques clenched her legs around Paula's arm, trying to fashion the only kind of tourniquet they could while playing dead. But Corey was just at Paula's feet, close enough to touch, close enough to find comfort in one another. Even as they lay on the floor dead silent, listening to the sound of bullets, screams, and the maniac that had shot them, reloading again and again.
- [33:14]
Paula or Friend of Paula
His head was where my feet were. So my feet would rub his head and he would rub my feet. There was a time when he just. His head fell back and he stopped responding to my feet. And that scared me even more.
- [33:31]
Courtney Brown
Everything about what happened at Pulse is utterly heartbreaking. But there's something about that moment that is so human it makes you ache. We've all been in a situation in public where we give our partner a squeeze of the hand. And in that moment on that filthy floor in a club turned war zone, Corey and Paula had that moment. Until suddenly, they didn't. Paula couldn't get up and check on Corey. She couldn't tend to his wounds or verbally tell him she loved him. Because soon after, Corey stopped responding to her touch, the shooter approached the couch. Both Jaqui and Paula held their breath.
- [34:09]
Colin Browen
So when I saw him looking for a clip, I was relieved that it was almost over, that he was gonna be done you know, and I saw him find one more in his pocket. And then that's when I heard him laugh.
- [34:25]
Paula or Friend of Paula
I can't believe this guy's, like, laughing. After that, he just started shooting again and again and again.
- [34:33]
Narrator/Reporter
Soon after, the gunman left the dance floor, slipping into another part of the club. The pathway to the exit was open. They didn't know when the shooter would return, but Jacqueline knew they couldn't wait. Even as Paula was clouded by pain and on the verge of passing out.
- [34:48]
Paula or Friend of Paula
Jackie said, paula, you need to get up. Corey needs help. And you know, I couldn't move. My hand was just hurting. And she said, paula, if you love Cory, get up. And that kind of like woke me up. And we started walking and I saw Corey on the floor and I was like, okay. And then Jackie helped him get out.
- [35:15]
Colin Browen
I just threw his arm over my shoulder and kind of barely picked him up. And when we got outside, police officers put him in the back of the squad car.
- [35:35]
Narrator/Reporter
Both Corey and Paula were rushed to the hospital. Tragically, only one of them left alive. After a six hour surgery to fix her mangled arm, Paula awakened desperate to hear news about Corey. But the news that her brother in law and sister had for her was the worst news she'd ever receive in her life.
- [35:54]
Paula or Friend of Paula
My brother in law, he came up to me and my sister on my side and my brother in law on my left side in the bed. He was like, I'm sorry to tell you Cory didn't make it. And I just broke down crying and I cried and I told him that, you know, like, you're lying, you're lying, it's not true. He made it. He's here. You guys are lying to me. And I just, I didn't believe it. It didn't sink in that Corey, my best friend, my boyfriend, the best person in this world that I ever met was, you know, dead and that he wasn't going to come back.
- [36:55]
Narrator/Reporter
Paula was devastated beyond words to learn of Corey's death, as was his family. The wake of the tragedy was unfathomable. Corey was just 21 years old, and his death left behind a hole that will never be filled. During Paula's first trip to his gravesite, she etched into the dirt next to his headstone, sunshine loves you. To this day, she still struggles with the loss of the man she loved who always pushed her to be her best. But there are parts of Corey and his love that still exist on this earth. His sister Amanda gave birth to the nephew he had been so excited to meet. Shortly after his death. She named him Corey in honor of her little brother. And though he was taken too soon, his memory lives on in him inside Pulse.
- [37:40]
Courtney Brown
That night, about the same time Corey was shot, hundreds of people struggled and ran towards the exits as people fell all around them. There was screaming, crying pleads for help in the air that was being choked out by the thick smell of gunpowder. The smoke in the crowds made it nearly impossible for many to escape. But there was something else that made it challenging. One survivor, Louise Barbano, told kpbs, quote, it was hard to leave the club. The floor was covered with drinks and blood. End quote. Another survivor, Chris Hansen, told NBC, quote, I just saw bodies going down. Bang, bang, bang. End quote. Desperate to survive, Chris dropped to the ground and began crawling through the growing blood and bodies until he managed to reach an exit. In that short, traumatic crawl, he stated he heard at least 50 gunshots the entire time. People trampled over him, crushing his back, his hands and his legs as they stumbled in the direction of safety. Fortunately, Chris made it out. Others, however, weren't so lucky.
- [38:48]
Narrator/Reporter
50 year old Frankie Jimmy DeJesus Velasquez, unfortunately, was one of those people. Originally from Puerto Rico, Jimmy attended the Inter American University of Puerto Rico in San Juan. During his time in Puerto Rico, he built a lucrative career as a professional dancer with Jabaro de Puerto Rico, a group that danced to folk music that was made popular by the island's peasant farmers. In 2006, he moved to Orlando seeking more opportunities and a better life. There he worked passionately as a visual merchandiser for Forever 21, a job that he loved. One of his co workers stated that everyone wanted to be around him, especially his nieces and nephews back in Puerto Rico, despite there being 20 of them, Jimmy, as he liked to be called, took the time every single week to call each one of them and catch up, let them know he loved them and send them well wishes for the week ahead. It was a highlight for them, not just because Jimmy was outgoing and funny, but because he was insightful and gave great advice. Only a few hours before the Pulse massacre, he posted a quote that in English translated to when you lose, don't lose the lesson, a well known quote attributed to the dalai Lama.
- [40:00]
Courtney Brown
On June 11, Jimmy went out dancing with Carlos and Christian, his two best friends. Carlos told CNN that they were often called the Three Amigos because they were always together. And that night was no different. As the shooting began, the three were together on the dance floor. They all looked at one another when the DJ yelled out that there was someone with the gun. But before they could react, madness unfolded all around them. Here's Christian speaking about what happened next.
- [40:28]
Survivor or Witness
And then the lights went off. It was so dark, and I can see the people falling dead in front of me. I can see everything. Was everybody dead? Everybody was like killing a massacre or something like that.
- [40:43]
Courtney Brown
As bodies fell all around them, Carlos dragged Christian and Jimmy to the ground to avoid the onslaught. The group was far away from an exit, so Carlos told his friends that they needed to crawl to the nearby bathroom. He grabbed both of them by the shirt, dragging them alongside him. But as they neared the bathroom, Carlos lost his grip on Jimmy. Jimmy was frozen in place, laid face down, playing dead on the floor. From the bathroom, Carlos panicked, looking for him.
- [41:14]
Survivor or Witness
I was looking for Jimmy and I can find it. I said, jimmy, where you are? Jimmy. Jimmy, Jimmy. But everybody was screaming and I was trying to fight for Jimmy. And when I looked back, that's when I saw that everybody was getting dead. He was shooting the people on the floor.
- [41:28]
Courtney Brown
Jimmy never made it into the bathroom, into hiding. For the rest of the night, he laid there on the floor. Carlos and Christian had no idea whether their friend was dead or alive. Yet as the minutes ticked by, they watched in horror as blood seeped under the closed bathroom door. Later on, when they were finally able to emerge from the bathroom, Carlos saw Jimmy in the same position where he had left him. Except he wasn't playing dead.
- [41:58]
Survivor or Witness
When I get out, I was looking for Jimmy and I saw him dead on the floor.
- [42:03]
Narrator/Reporter
Jimmy was 50 years old. He was. He was the oldest person to die in the Pulse shooting. One of his relatives later posted on social media. What happened in Orlando affects all of us because it is an act of hate against the freedom to be who you are. I'm trying not to fall prey to hate at the person who killed you, at the gringos, at Trump, at the terrorists. Because then I would be a part of the vicious circle of judge and jury. They killed you out of hate for the freedom to be who you are. And it makes me hurt inside because if there was anyone who always had a smile, who helped me, who was carrying with me my music and my madnesses, it was you.
- [42:40]
Courtney Brown
Jimmy had tried to escape. He had tried to make it back to the people who loved him. Sadly, in the crowd, it was impossible. So much of what happened that night depended on just two factors. Where you were when the shooting began and where you went before the gunman could reach you. Some victims on the opposite side of the club from where the Shooter entered, were able to run out onto the patio, guided by the head of security, Neil Whittleton. He yelled out to people over the gunshots, Follow me, let's go. As they burst out onto the patio, escaping the haze of gunpowder, they faced a different problem. A tall fence surrounding the patio. It was put in place so people couldn't just sneak into the club through the patio. But now it was blocking the men. Neil wasted no time. He kicked a hole in the fence and quickly ushered an estimated 20 people to safety in a nearby parking lot. As soon as they emerged, they found themselves in a swarm of police. This was just two minutes after the shooting began. Police had arrived on scene 90 seconds after the initial signal 43 was broadcasted by Detective Grueler. The exterior of Pulse was illuminated by a sea of red and blue lights. Officer Connery Reynolds was one of the first officers to arrive on scene. He whipped his car into the street on the south side of Pulse and took cover behind a vehicle to assess the situation. At 2:04am, Detective Grueler radioed, quote, we've got multiple down. I only have one officer here with me. I still have a subject continuing to shoot. 22 seconds later, the gravity of the situation was too much. This was no longer the time for calm. Reserved orders and codes. Over the radio, he signaled again, this time snapping, he's still firing.
- [44:32]
Law Enforcement Officer
He's still firing. We need more people here now. Multiple shots. Got an assault rifle.
- [44:38]
Narrator/Reporter
Sadly, before the officers would breach the building, more people would lose their lives. Minutes earlier, when the gunfire broke out, Adrian Lopez, his husband Javier Nava, and their best friends, Peter Gonzales Cruz and Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez were in the middle of a last dance when they realized the gunfire was real. They scattered, all becoming separated from one another in the crowd. Adrian managed to follow the crowd out of a nearby exit. But then when he looked around, he realized Javier was gone. He didn't think twice about the danger. He didn't care about the shooter. All he cared about was being by Javier's side. So he rushed back inside. You went back in to look for your husband?
- [45:23]
Colin Browen
Yeah.
- [45:24]
Narrator/Reporter
How long were you outside for?
- [45:26]
Colin Browen
It was seconds. I just looked around real quick and then I just went back inside.
- [45:31]
Courtney Brown
But when Adrian reentered, there was no way to find Javier. Two lights, a neon green party light and a disco ball were the only things illuminating the smoke filled room aside from the flash of a muzzle. With no other option, Adrian retreated, returning outside.
- [45:50]
Colin Browen
He's still shooting at people. So that's when I just ran Back outside.
- [45:54]
Law Enforcement Officer
And then what did you do after that?
- [45:56]
Colin Browen
I walked towards the street and a lot of people were telling me how you're being shot. Cause since I have blood on me, but I didn't notice at the time, time. And they were telling me what happened, what happened, how you been shot? Have you been shot? And I just kept on walking towards the fire station. And that's when the cops, they just try to calm me down.
- [46:15]
Courtney Brown
For several hours, Adrian paced outside waiting in desperation to see if Javier was still alive. He searched for their friends Peter Gonzalez Cruz and Gilberto Ramon Silvia Menendez, but. But neither of them had made it out yet. So on the sidewalk he waited alone. Unbeknownst to him, Javier was still inside, hiding in an office, bleeding from a wound in his side. With every passing minute, it seemed more and more likely that Javier was dead. Until finally police began to evacuate people. And that's when Adrian saw the most incredible sight of his life.
- [46:53]
Colin Browen
I stood by the corner to make sure that I saw my husband if he got out. My husband was the second group that got out and I think that was the last one. And from there when I saw my husband coming out, I got super happy that I saw him. I ran towards him and then all the cops started coming up to us and told us. I was like, you can't be next to him, you can't be next to him. And then they separated me and he told me that he was fine, but I saw he was shot. I was comfortable that he told me he was okay. I stuck to my gut and I stayed calm and I told myself that he was going to be okay.
- [47:29]
Narrator/Reporter
Fortunately, Javier made a full recovery. The same unfortunately couldn't be said for their friends, 22 year old Peter Gonzalez Cruz and 25 year old Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez. Peter, also known as Ami, grew up in Orlando and attended Liberty Middle School and Colonial High School. He was outgoing, joyful and full of energy. He worked at UPS and even his customers said there was never a time he didn't have a smile on his face. He was accepting of everyone, embracing people for who they were without judgment. His aunt Sonia Cruz told the Lompoc Record. Peter makes a difference everywhere he goes. He was a happy person. If Peter is not at the party, no one wants to go. His friend Gilberto, originally from Puerto Rico, had moved to Orlando and worked at Speedway to support himself as he worked towards a degree in healthcare management and also worked as a St Bernard fancier. He had many nicknames, Junito Unhun Gaviota, and Cooley and was extremely popular. His mother, Marley Menendez, told the Orlando my son belonged to everyone. My house was always full and is still full of his friends that come and visit. I couldn't keep track of how many people knew him and loved him so much. He was a hard person not to love. He was a ball of energy, always radiating his passion for dancing, music, and life in general. Tragically, that life was taken from him. Though his vibrant personality shone even after his death. In honor of him, no one wore black to his funeral. Instead, loved ones chose bright colors to reflect the joy of warmth and light he brought into their lives. A final tribute to the spirit that defined him. Dressed in every color of the rainbow, they danced to Puerto Rican music, some of the same music that had been playing that night. When Gilberto and Peter took their final breaths together.
- [49:22]
Courtney Brown
Gilberto and Peter's friend Javier was able to escape because he hid. Now, as we mentioned earlier, when the gunfire first broke out, people rushed towards the exits. With the sheer number of people trying to escape, the gunmen had a whole crowd of people to shoot at. The people at the back of that crowd were the first ones to go down. Seeing this, other people around the building realized that running outside wasn't an option for them. So instead they started looking for a place to hide. Some hid behind the bar, others behind furniture around the room. But there were three other places where the majority of people hid. Behind one door was a dressing room. Behind the other was the south bathroom and then finally the north bathroom. In a moment where your life is on the line, no one stops to think which of these rooms is the safest. The victim simply saw a door, opened it and ran inside. But tragically, in just a few minutes behind one of these doors, over a dozen bodies would be piled on top of one another, while the majority of victims in the other two rooms would make it out alive. It was all a game of chance. Some people were lucky. Some people were not.
- [50:37]
Narrator/Reporter
Behind the door of the dressing room, people desperately tried to hide from the barrage of gunfire. Some curled up beneath dressing tables. Others hid behind a makeshift changing curtain. When bartender Michael Belvedere raced inside, he initially thought there were five people on the room, but ultimately there were eight. Everyone was so well hidden that it took him some time to realize who was in there and that mere feet from him, was one of his closest friends and co workers. Hiding behind the curtain was drag performer Angelica Jones. For Angelica, pulse hadn't just been a place of safety. It had been an opportunity to make something of herself. In a world that she felt despised her, Angelica transitioned into a woman in the mid-90s. Now, acceptance as a trans person can be challenging to find, but back in the 90s, that struggle was tenfold. She told Billboard that she struggled to find work. And I had the option of either doing this or being a sex worker. And I thanked God that I had individuals that were actually out there and knew that wasn't the plan for me. They pretty much told me, girl, you don't need to be out here. Get back to the club and get on stage. End quote. Angelica then began to perform in drag and soon became a fixture in Orlando's club scene. When Pulse opened In the early 2000s, it was a big part of allowing her to be herself and to support herself without having to change who she was. But that night, just after 2am she found herself hiding behind a curtain in the dressing room, listening to the screams and gunfire. Devoutly spiritual, she prayed over and over, God, shield us as much as you can. Meanwhile, she and the other seven cowering inside the room were forced to listen to the destruction of the community they loved so dearly. Michael told Billboard, I remember at one point I heard some really blood curdling screams from some girls who were out there. It sounded like a horror movie. It just, it didn't sound real. I thought someone was playing a joke on us. It wasn't real. The screams were something out of a horror movie, I guess. People tried running for it. I heard what I thought was a police officer, by the way he was talking to them. He was yelling at them like, get down, motherfucker, put your hands down. To me, it was something a cop would say, like, put your cell phone down, turn the light off. He kept calling them a motherfucker over and over. So for me, I was relieved because I thought it was the police. But it turned out to be the shooter.
- [52:56]
Courtney Brown
And that's another horrifying part of this story. At times, while the gunman shot up the dance floor, he was eerily silent, not saying a word. At other times, he laughed. And mixed in between it were all the hate filled commands he lobbed at the people at the end of his gun. The people in the dressing room had no idea what was going on outside, no idea if the gunman was coming for them. While they waited in silence, the bartender, Michael, hovered by the door, holding a chair over his head. He planned to strike the shooter if he tried to step inside the room. At times they heard his footsteps creeping closer and closer, and then they'd fade away. And there they remained, waiting for three hours. Three long hours of listening to gunshots, to screams, to the wails of people taking their last breaths. Until finally police managed to remove an exterior AC unit in the room, creating a small exit with with just enough room for the eight survivors to slip out. On the 16th, four days after the shooting, Angelica made a public statement while performing again for the first time. Don't take life for granted or your freedom. Freedom comes with a price. And we never realize how many people had to fight for us just to have a choice. And when somebody tries to attack that, well, that is the true definition of a demonic spirit. End quote.
- [54:24]
Narrator/Reporter
Outside of the dressing room, two people were lying on the floor. 34 year old Shane Evan Tomlinson and his friend, 26 year old Angel Colon. When the shooting began, the two ran for the door along with their friend Jason Gonzalez. When Jason emerged outside into a cool, clear night, he turned around and made the horrific realization that neither angel nor Shane were behind him. They were still somewhere on the dance floor and the gunshots were growing louder. Here's angel telling his story during a press conference.
- [54:55]
Survivor or Witness
We just grabbed each other. We started running and unfortunately I was shot about three times in my leg, so I had fallen down. I tried to get back up, but everyone started running everywhere. I got trampled over.
- [55:14]
Narrator/Reporter
Both Shane and Angel lay on the floor, bleeding out from wounds they had sustained in the first round of shooting. Angel desperately tried to claw his way to his feet as people ran over him, charging towards safety. But just as he was about to get to his feet, he felt someone else's feet crash down on his legs and his back.
- [55:31]
Survivor or Witness
I remember over the screams, I hear a loud snap. And I remember I felt the most excruciating pain I've ever felt as my leg is being broken.
- [55:44]
Narrator/Reporter
All angel could do was lie there as the pain radiated up his legs into his stomach, extending through every part of him. As the room cleared out, the shooter peeked into a nearby room, giving them a moment of respite. Shane and angel both thought that maybe for a moment they'd be safe, that someone would tackle the gunman, that he would move on to the other room on the dance floor. No one was standing. There were just piles of bodies and everywhere. But tragically, the gunman would come back in their direction and unleash another wave of bullets onto people who were already dead.
- [56:17]
Survivor or Witness
But unfortunately, I hear him come back and he's shooting everyone that's already dead on the floor, making sure they're dead.
- [56:25]
Courtney Brown
The gunman walks slowly around the dance floor, he had just terrorized, shooting person after person, execution style. Angel described the sound of the shooting, which had seconds earlier been fast and frantic. However, now it had slowed down to a methodical rhythm, one that was slowly moving closer and closer to him.
- [56:47]
Survivor or Witness
And I just start, I say, here pups, again. But this time it was slow.
- [56:53]
Courtney Brown
Pop, pop, pop. Angel reached out and grabbed the hand of a stranger who had fallen beside him. He whispered to her, I under the sound of gunfire, it's going to be okay. He began to pray. Raised in evangelical, angel said he had strayed from the church in recent years. But in that moment, he reconnected with his faith. He told God he was sorry he had lost his way and that he wanted to come back. He told God that he didn't want to die there and that he wanted to do good things with his life. As he soaked in his prayers and squeezed the hand of a stranger beside him, he heard the footsteps of the shooter mere feet away.
- [57:34]
Survivor or Witness
I was able to peek over and I can just see him shooting at everyone. And I can hear the shotguns closer. And I look over and he shoots the girl next to me. And I'm just there laying down. I'm thinking I'm next, I'm dead,
- [57:55]
Law Enforcement Officer
so
- [57:55]
Survivor or Witness
I don't know how, but by the glory of God, he shoots towards my head, but it hits my hand. And then he shoots me again and it hits the side of my hip. I had no reaction. I was just prepared to just stay there laying down so he won't know that I'm alive.
- [58:14]
Courtney Brown
As angel was shot in the hand and hip, he didn't dare move. Tears of pain welled in his eyes, but he sat there motionless. He later described it as if the Lord was just holding me. And there he remained, playing dead. But mere feet away from him, his friend Shane Tomlinson wasn't so lucky.
- [58:38]
Narrator/Reporter
Despite being just 34 years old, Shane had lived a miraculous full life. Born in Queens, New York, he moved to North Carolina at a young age and and graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in communications. There was one way in particular that Shane liked to communicate with by singing. Shane was In a top 40 style band called Frequency and he played at clubs and at weddings. When he wasn't singing with frequency, he was singing with the Joyful Choir of Orlando. When he wasn't performing with either of them, he took to modeling, which he excelled at. Photos taken of him were used all around the world in advertising and he worked hard to keep up his physique in order to book as many roles as possible. It's something that his friends frequently joked about in interviews because if there was one thing he loved more than singing, it might have been eating. In more than one interview, his friends made comments to the effect of the man could eat, and with what his family was cooking up, it'd be hard not to. His favorites were his family's Mac and cheese and arroz con gandules, a Puerto Rican rice. His friend Victoria Larkin told the Orlando Sentinel. He was someone that could walk in the room and light you up with his personality. He was the type of person who lived his life to the fullest and who shared that light with absolutely anyone he encountered. Sadly, that day at Pulse, his life was taken.
- [60:02]
Courtney Brown
Now, by this point, we are still just minutes into the shooting outside of Pulse, Officers Richard Fink, Felix Santiago and Anne Ms. Lang arrived on scene. Officer Ms. Lang had a high caliber gun, so she took the lead from here. The four officers moved towards the east patio entrance of the club while more officers arrived from the OPD SWAT team, the Belle Isle Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Inside, surveillance footage showed the shooter moving between the main dance floor and the west bar area, where he continued shooting people. He had one goal in mind, and he wasn't going to stop until it was finished. But when officers got closer, the shooter retreated deeper into the club. Now they had lost sight of him. One group of officers entered through the east patio, while the other entered through the south side, but still no one had eyes on the gunman. However, as officers stepped inside, the scene in front of them was something they'd never be able to forget. The only light in the room came from the glow of a colored disco ball. But in that small bit of light, they saw just how deadly the shooting had been. One officer described the floor inside as, quote, littered with lifeless bodies stacked on top of each other, end quote. Under the bodies, they could see pools of blood that were spreading by the second. And despite being in the midst of a shooting, the officers couldn't ignore how eerily quiet it was around the room. Most of the people in front of them were already dead, but there were survivors talked all around, people who had been shot multiple times, yet these people didn't dare make a sound. However, when the officers stepped onto the dance floor and announced their presence, they began to see little flickers of movement. Some victims crawled out of their hiding spots only to be confronted with the end of another gun. Except this time, they were the good guys. Over the next few minutes, officers worked to bring the injured to safety. Here is a portion of a body cam with first responding officers who had just entered the main dance floor.
- [62:19]
Law Enforcement Officer
Yes, get outside, get outside. If you can move, you need to leave.
- [62:22]
Courtney Brown
One by one, the injured were taken outside, but sadly they were the minority. Most of the people on the dance floor were long gone.
- [62:31]
Survivor or Witness
There were so many bodies laying on the ground.
- [62:33]
Courtney Brown
After seeing the carnage, one officer was caught on body cam saying, this, this
- [62:39]
Law Enforcement Officer
is going to be astronomical moment.
- [62:42]
Courtney Brown
They were standing in a graveyard of people who less than 20 minutes ago were having the time of their lives. One of those people was 24 year old Christopher Joseph San Feliz. Christopher was from Tampa. He and his friends loved Disney and would always walk around singing songs from their favorite movies at the top of their lungs. According to Christopher's childhood friend Nicole, he absolutely loved his life. She recalled one story from 2014 where the two were watching a meteor shower on the beach. Christopher was completely in awe. With each falling star, he would call them his diamonds. And then he would make a wish. And that became a thing of his. With everything he loved in life, he called it his diamonds. Over time, he even started referring to all of his friends as my diamonds. And on June 12, 2016, he was in Orlando to support one of his diamonds, his best friend, Cesar de la Rosa. That week, Cesar had tried out for the X factor in Miami. Christopher had driven him all the way down and back without air conditioning in his car. That was the kind of friend he was. And tonight they were celebrating his success. But sadly, Christopher wouldn't make it out alive. He died inside pulse surrounded by his diamonds. Now, whenever his loved ones see a shooting star, he's the first thing that comes to their minds. His friend Caesar wrote a song in his honor. He will never forget what Chris did for him. Not just that day, but always. Here is a snippet of that song titled Chris and if you think that I.
- [64:31]
Colin Browen
That I will soon forget you
- [64:37]
Narrator/Reporter
you just hold on to this truth you're
- [64:41]
Colin Browen
the fountain of my youth you keep me living.
- [64:56]
Narrator/Reporter
And now for a brief ad break. According to cnbc, nearly half of hiring managers say a candidate's enthusiasm about the job is the most important factor when considering them for a role. And Courtney and I know this from experience. We've hired a number of people and, and even above experience, what we look for is somebody who's driven and who cares about the work that we're doing here. Well, if you need to hire for your business, how can you separate the candidates who are really excited about your opportunity from the ones that are just meh ZipRecruiter ZipRecruiter has a new feature that quickly lets you see the most interested qualified candidates first so you meet the right people faster. And now you can try it for free@ziprecruiter.com Mia ZipRecruiter's new feature puts the most interested quantity qualified candidates at the top of your list and their smart matching technology connects you with qualified candidates instantly. Use ZipRecruiter and find enthusiastic talent fast. Four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day and now you can try it for free@ziprecruiter.com Mia that's ZipRecruiter.com Mia meet your match on ZipRecruiter anyways, y', all, let's get back to the show. While officers scanned the floor for survivors and the dark corners of the club for the shooter just down the hall, nearly 40 people struggled to stay silent as they hid in two sets of restrooms. In the south restroom, around a dozen people squished together, many of them crammed together in a large handicapped stall. People sat up on the toilet, braced themselves against the wall. Others lay on the floor beneath bodies as the people around them, many of whom had already been shot on the dance floor, began to lose consciousness. Angel Santiago and his best friend Jeff Gonzalez were two of the last people to rush into the bathroom. Angel's heart was pounding. They had both been at the bar when the shooting began. They had hoped they'd be able to squeeze into the handicap stall, but there was no room. Desperate, angel sank beneath the Sink, coiling his 6 foot 2 frame as tightly as he could beneath the porcelain. Beside him, Jeff did the same. They waited there, listening to the sound of screams radiating from the dance floor. And then silence. Slowly, footsteps began to move towards the south bathroom. The time was 2:06. Police had just breached through the entryway, but tragically the shooter started in their direction. Angel then pulled out his phone and began to record as he heard the footsteps approaching. Here's the video that he took as he hid beneath the sink.
- [68:06]
Law Enforcement Officer
Quiet.
- [68:10]
Courtney Brown
Angel tried to silence the chatter in the bathroom. The footsteps got closer. And then it happened. What everyone had been dreading. Bullets exploded into the restroom. The shooter had propped open the door for just a moment and he fired his gun all throughout. Disturbingly, as he held the trigger, he laughed through the sound of the bullets colliding with porcelain, with plaster, with bodies. Everyone in the room heard it the glee of the man mowing them down. His bullets ripped through the bathroom partition, slicing into the stall and burrowing into the flesh of some of the innocent people inside. Many did not survive. Moments before the gunman opened the door, some survivors recalled the a man had run inside the bathroom trying to find a hiding spot. Here is survivor Norman Cassiano recounting what happened to that man in the documentary 49 Pulses.
- [69:32]
Survivor or Witness
We went in the men's side of the stalls. Someone came running in and slid right under. And we were trying to get him to come under, and he's like, begging, like, please, please, please, pull me under, pull me under. I don't want to die. And the guy came in, and that's when I received shrapnel damage on my foot and on my right leg. And I just started seeing blood. And that's when it really became real. He just killed someone in front of me.
- [69:59]
Narrator/Reporter
Yet after the gunman shot into the bathroom, he left, closing the door behind him, leaving a number of his victims bleeding out. Near the sink, Angel Santiago felt searing pain radiate through his foot and knee. One bullet bore into his knee, burning away his skin and slicing through the delicate muscles there. Another sunk into his foot, shattering the bones in his heel. But angel didn't move. Blood seeped through his jeans, pooling on the floor below him, and still he didn't move. After that initial burning sensation, the pain was gone. The shock took hold, and all he felt was a wave of exhaustion. His thoughts, the room around him, it all began to move in slow motion.
- [70:42]
Courtney Brown
Beside him, his best friend, Jeff Rodriguez, struggled to stay conscious. Blood gushed from a wound in his collarbone. Angel could see that he was barely holding on. He shook Jeff, repeating to him, you have to stay awake. You can't fall asleep. Jeff. But Jeff was awakened by another sensation. Beside him, another woman was cowering. She was covered in blood. Her eyes fluttered, and she repeated over and over, I don't want to die. Then the woman slumped over. She landed on Jeff. Her body splayed across him as she took her final breaths. Angel told Tampa Bay Times that he thought to himself, quote, I watched her die. I just literally watched her die. For the others in the restroom, they said the smell of gunpowder and blood was all consuming. Angel could taste it on his tongue. He could feel it, warm and sticky on his legs, soaking through his clothing. He waited, listening to the whimper of the wounded all around him. Part of him was waiting for what he thought was the inevitable the shooter coming back in and finishing them off. But luckily for the people in the room, the steps moved away. The gunman had disappeared into the north restroom across the small hallway. But the silence was overwhelming. Angel clung to the pipes on the sink, trying to keep himself awake. He needed help. Jeff needed help. Everyone in the restroom needed help. Someone had to go get it. And so slowly, angel began to pull his mangled body through the restroom. In whispered tones. Others warned him not to go, but angel wasn't willing to risk the wait. He dragged himself out of the bathroom, down the hall, over shattered glass, spilled drinks, and the blood of people he knew and loved. Until finally, a voice startled him.
- [72:41]
Narrator/Reporter
Hands up.
- [72:42]
Courtney Brown
Angel looked up to see a gun pointed at his face. But it wasn't the gun of the shooter. It was an officer. The officer instructed him to lift up his shirt to prove he wasn't the gunman. Angel did as he was told, the pain starting to come back to his numb body and penpricks. Once they confirmed he wasn't the shooter, he was ordered by the officers to move to the exit. Angel tried to drag himself to the door, but before he could get there, two officers grabbed him by either side of his armpits and dragged him out into the fresh air. He told them that people were shot in the restroom. They needed help. They assured him they knew and that they'd take care of it. But inside the south restroom, the victims weren't so sure. If you recall, Angel's friend Jeff was still hiding beneath the sink. He had been shot in the collarbone, and his consciousness was fading fast. Certain that he was going to die, he began to text his brother Santiago. Miles away, Santiago was awakened by his vibrating phone. The first text read, At 2:25am I
- [73:50]
Narrator/Reporter
been shot at club dying. I love you.
- [73:53]
Courtney Brown
Less than a minute later, another text.
- [73:56]
Narrator/Reporter
Dead bodies on top of me. Tell everyone I love them. Poppy. Mommy. Mary.
- [74:01]
Courtney Brown
At first, his brother Santiago was so horrified that he tricked himself into thinking it was a joke. He texted Jeff back, very funny. Moments later, Jeff responded, not a joke, Santi. Then came a photo of Jeff's view. Bodies coiled together, blood smeared across the floor. Some people cowering, other people dead. Santiago immediately Googled Pulse nightclub, and the first thing he saw was a post made by the club itself on Facebook at 2:09am it read, everyone get out of Pulse and keep running. Here is Santiago telling ABC how he felt in that moment.
- [74:46]
Narrator/Reporter
My heart just, just literally, it just
- [74:49]
Survivor or Witness
like it was broken. I was just like, my gosh, he was reaching out to me and I
- [74:54]
Narrator/Reporter
thought it was a joke this whole time. Santiago went and woke up their parents to tell them the news. Together, they cried. Soon, Jeff stopped texting. Miles away, they assumed the worst. But in the bathroom, people by Jeff's side worked their hardest to keep him alive. An unnamed friend put pressure on his wounds, and miraculously, he would survive the night. But out of the dozen or so people in the room, six would ultimately lose their lives. While the people inside waited for help to arrive, calls began to flood dispatch. So many came at once that the lines were overwhelmed. Survivors clinging to life begged for help. Outside, they could hear the static of police radios on the dance floor. But they didn't know if police knew they were there or if they were coming at all. Here are several snippets of 911 calls that came in from people hiding inside the restrooms.
- [75:47]
Law Enforcement Officer
Police emergency and Apache cause reported. Please tell the cops to come. Okay, tell. Tell me what?
- [75:53]
Colin Browen
Did you see the shooter inside of the club?
- [75:56]
Law Enforcement Officer
No, but they're talking.
- [75:58]
Colin Browen
What are they saying? Can you make out the words?
- [76:01]
Law Enforcement Officer
No, please, they're gonna kill us. I think the shooters are sent to help right now.
- [76:07]
Narrator/Reporter
You think the shooter's what?
- [76:10]
Law Enforcement Officer
Outside the dressing room? Okay. All right, just everyone be quiet. Don't move, okay? Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I hear the murder. You hear reloading?
- [76:23]
Courtney Brown
Yes.
- [76:24]
Law Enforcement Officer
We are in the bathroom of Paul. We've been waiting like they told us. Someone is coming here. We have four people that. That are deceased, and we have two people that are shot that are. That are getting worse. We have another guy that's on the line as well. We're getting help to you. Where are they? I don't understand. Everyone's getting worse. Where are they? They're trying to make their way to you. They have not just you, the room where you guys are. We are trying to make it through the building, but they're trying to get to everyone as quickly as they can. She is right here. I'm telling you. She's bleeding and she's. Shut up. Okay, let me get you over to the Florida or the fire department. They're going to have you give first aid. Stay on the line so we can give her first aid. You want your family to know what?
- [77:14]
Narrator/Reporter
And it wasn't just victims calling in. As people began to text and call their loved ones, Some just desperate to tell them they loved them one last time. Parents, friends, partners, and even children of those trapped inside. Pulse began to call. 9, 1 1.
- [77:28]
Law Enforcement Officer
My girlfriend is in the bathroom saying that there's 2 p. Dead people and there's 18 people there and they're shooters are in the club, and then all of a sudden she's stopped. Cassini.
- [77:37]
Narrator/Reporter
Around the same time, a father called after receiving a panic call from his son who was hiding in one of the bathrooms.
- [77:43]
Law Enforcement Officer
Yes, my son was shot in the club in the Post in Orlando, and he's still in the bathroom when he's bleeding. He had shot and nobody's going anymore.
- [77:56]
Courtney Brown
By this point, as the calls flooded in, police were standing inside poles. They were on the dance floor. It was about 2:16am after shooting up the south bathroom, the shooter retreated into the north bathroom on the other side of the hallway, closing the door behind him. The sound of gunfire stopped. The only thing that could be heard was the crunching glass beneath law enforcement's feet, the slosh of booze and blood that covered the ground, and horrifically, the screams of the victims radiating from the bathrooms, which police had yet to reach.
- [78:36]
Narrator/Reporter
Where the is this coming from?
- [78:46]
Courtney Brown
Now? The Pulse nightclub shooting has two distinct phases. Phase one is everything we've mentioned so far, but we are about to cover phase two, which is one of the most frustrating parts of this story, because even though police were on scene within minutes, the night was far from over. You see, after shooting up the south bathroom, the shooter retreated to the north bathroom. It was on the other side of the hallway, and he closed the door behind him. Inside, 20 victims hid in the stalls. The police knew they were in there. But as soon as that door closed, the active shooter situation turned into a hostage situation. It was 2:18am for the victims. Trapped inside the bathroom with the gunman, they could hear the police outside the door. In fact, by that point, there were over 100 officers on scene. But between them and that help was a madman. Now, two of the people hiding in that stall have provided the public with the most insightful information on what happened inside.
- [79:53]
Narrator/Reporter
Earlier that night, before the shooting even started, three friends made their way inside the club. Their names were Tiara Parker, Patience Carter, and Akira Murray. Just weeks earlier, Akira Murray had graduated third in her class from West Catholic Preparatory High School in Philadelphia. She had earned every second of joy and laughter on the dance floor that night. She'd been on the honor roll every single quarter throughout her entire school experience. All the way up from elementary school, she didn't just get good grades either. On her high school basketball team, she scored over a thousand points for her team from freshman to senior year, setting a school record. And all of that effort she had put in was about to pay off. She had earned a full scholarship to play and study at at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. And to celebrate her achievement, her parents took her on a trip to Florida for a vacation. With her was her best friend, Patience Carter, and her cousin, Tiara Parker. The trip was supposed to mark an exciting new chapter in her life. A few weeks where she could unwind with her favorite people before her college experience ahead. So that night, after getting dressed up, the trio made their way to Pulse for a fun night at the door.
- [81:05]
Courtney Brown
Akira and Tiara each paid the COVID charge. It was $10 a person. But just as Patience was about to pay, a woman offered to let her in as their plus one, allowing her to slip in for free. It was a small gesture, but it showed the generosity and sense of community that filled Pulse that night. Patience told NBC, quote, it was just the friendliest people ever. That was the overall atmosphere of Pulse when we were there, end quote. The three immediately hit the dance floor, and for a group of 18 year olds, it was just about as much fun as you could have for the very first time. People are treating you as an adult and it's just you, your girls and the music. T ara said everyone was having a ball. They loved us, we loved them, we had the time of our lives, end quote. Patience went on to add, we were sure we were going to Pulse every single night of our vacation because that's how much fun we were having. So much fun that not only did they plan to go the next day right there on the dance floor, but they decided to close the club down and stay until just before closing. At 1.58am, just minutes before the shooting began, Tiara pulled up her Uber app and hit Confirm on her ride. But the second her finger hit the button, the night changed and she was left wondering if she would ever get home. When the first round of gunshots erupted beneath the music, panic surged through the crowd, consuming everyone whole. Tiara didn't see where the gunshots were coming from. Her primal instinct just told her, one get to safety and get there now. She dove behind the bar for cover. However, Patience Carter and Akirah Marais ran outside. They were somehow able to make it out, thinking that the worst of their nightmare was over. But when they looked around, they saw that Tiara wasn't with them. Here is Patience in the documentary 49 Pulses.
- [83:12]
Colin Browen
When I see Akira, I see Tia is now with her. So I'm just like. Well, like instantly, like, where is she? She's inside. Okay. Like, we gotta go get her.
- [83:20]
Narrator/Reporter
Without hesitation, Patience and Akira fought through the crowd of fleeing people to go back towards danger, all in a bid to save their friend. Parting the frenzied people, they saw her squatting by the bar, frozen in place. They grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. But by then, the exits were swamped. The crowd swarmed through the club like one writhing mass, knocking people over, consuming them and trampling them. At this point, everyone had one thing in survival. And when the trio saw other women racing for the bathroom, they saw what may have been their last chance to make it through the night. They followed a group of people inside, seeking safety. But little did they know they had just walked through the door that the shooter would barricade himself behind.
- [84:05]
Courtney Brown
For hours over the next few minutes, Patience, Akira, and Tiara, along with nearly 20 others, hid inside that single bathroom stall as the shooter fired hundreds of rounds of ammunition throughout the club. Once the stall was full, the people who couldn't fit had to hide under the sinks, praying that the gunmen wouldn't come inside. The entire time, everyone was doing their best to stay quiet. Occasionally, someone would start crying. A collective shh would be heard around the room. They had to hold back their sobs, because if the gunman heard them, he would come for them next. Every pause in the gunfire made the collective group hold their breath until soon. They heard footsteps coming closer. Tiara, Patience, and Akira, along with the other club goers, braced themselves against the wall, trying to come up with a plan. Outside the bathroom door, the gunman was pacing, muttering to himself. Tiara heard him say, damn, my gun's jammed. At that, the girls locked eyes with one another. They were fighters, and as soon as they made eye contact, it was clear they were all thinking the same thing. Now was the time to rush him. Tiara and Patience pitched the idea to the group, but the others in the stall didn't agree. They thought rushing him was too dangerous. Surely it would get them all killed. But the girls weren't so sure. Cowering in the stall, they felt like sitting ducks. And when they heard the gun reload, they knew they had lost their chance. Seconds later, the gunman burst into the bathroom and kicked open the stall door. From there, he unloaded his weapon onto the crowd of people cowering inside. Patience, Tiara, and Akira were shot multiple times, along with many others in the stall. Seconds earlier, everyone was standing, packed shoulder to shoulder. But now they were all on the ground, piled on top of one another and bleeding from their gunshot wounds. Some people were killed instantly. Others were alive, barely clinging on. They held their breath and waited desperately for the gunman to leave, but he didn't move. The firing stopped. The shooting had been horrific, but this moment, it sucked all the air out of the room. The person who had just unloaded his weapon onto them wasn't leaving. He was standing right on the other side of the stall. Tiara, Patience and Akira laid on the floor of the bathroom along with the 20 others. T Ara would later say, quote, there was blood all over the floor. We were so scared. Everybody was so injured and so hurt and in so much pain, end quote. Many of the victims inside the stall played dead. Tiara told cbs, quote, I just laid flat. My face and blood and all, I just laid there. End quote. And then, to her horror, she watched as the gunman crouched down, putting his head underneath the stall to look inside. Tiara froze. He was less than a foot away from her. She didn't breathe. She didn't blink. She just laid there, her eyes open, trying to make it seem as though that's how she died. She later recounted, quote, right then and there, I knew my life was over. I wasn't accepting death, but I was going to have to. It was a forced thing. I was going to have to accept it because there was no way I was getting out of there. I thought, if I have to go, at least I'm with two people I really care about, end quote. But then, to her relief, for lack of a better word, the gunman stood back up. Tiara remained there, lying in blood beside her. Patients grabbed Akira's hand. They had all been shot, but Akira was declining fast. With shaking hands, she took out her cell phone to call her mom. She whispered into the phone, trying to hide her voice from the gunman, who was still just on the other side of the stall. When her mother answered the phone, nothing could have prepared her for her daughter's voice on the other end. She later told ABC that her daughter cried to her, mommy, please help me. I'm bleeding so bad. Please help me. Call the cops.
- [88:29]
Narrator/Reporter
From a bullet wound in her arm, Akira was gushing blood. It was a fatal wound. She knew it. But with the last seconds she had, she just wanted her mother's comfort. Her mom told her to stay calm, to take a breath, and to apply pressure to the wound. She tried to be strong for her daughter, but inside, the panic was all consuming. She and Akira's dad hopped in the car and began the drive from Kissimmee to Orlando to save their daughter, their niece, and their friend. Sadly, they wouldn't get there in time. When Akira hung up, she called the police, begging them for help and telling them about the situation in the bathroom. That call has never been publicly released. What happened in the stall during Akira's final conscious moments is best told by Patience, who was alongside her holding her hand.
- [89:16]
Colin Browen
I didn't see Akira get shot, but after he sprayed the bathroom with blue, as the night just kept going on and on, I just hurt her less and less. Like at first, like I hurt her the most. Like she just kept saying, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, you know, and then she was saying, my vision is getting blurry and stuff like that. And then you just didn't. Then I didn't hear her no more.
- [89:37]
Courtney Brown
18 year old Akira Marae eventually succumbed to her injuries. Tiara and Patience would make it out alive. But all around them, as the minutes ticked on, people were dying and the situation was taking a drastic turn. At 2:30am, the gunman made his first call to 91 1. Just feet away, the people he had shot, people who were still fighting for their lives, had to listen as he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. For everyone in the bathroom and soon the world to hear. Emergency 911.
- [90:12]
Law Enforcement Officer
This is Dr. Lines being recorded. I want to let you know I'm in Orlando and I did the shooting.
- [90:27]
Courtney Brown
What's your name?
- [90:29]
Law Enforcement Officer
My name is I pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi of the Islamic State. Okay, what's your name? I pledge my allegiance to Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi Hasidullah, on behalf of the Islamic State. Where are you at in Orlando?
- [90:56]
Courtney Brown
Where in Orlando? With that call, Everyone in the bathroom realized that this wasn't just a shooting. It was a terrorist attack. And some of the things he said to the survivors in the stalls seemed to confirm it. At one point he even told them, this is nothing personal. I'm just trying to send a message to my country. End quote. At another point, he asked out of nowhere if there were any black people in the stall. Then he added, I don't have a problem with black people. This is about my country. You guys suffered enough. For the victims who were still inside, the wait was as unsettling as it was unbearable. One man said amongst the sounds of whimpers and cries, he heard the gunman using the sink. Then he heard him use the hand dryer. Another man said that as he was lying on the ground, he felt something poking at him. He believed it was the shooter checking to see if he was still alive. Everyone inside the bathrooms could hear the commotion going on outside. More than Anything. They just wanted the police to come in and save them. But that help wouldn't come until much later.
- [92:10]
Narrator/Reporter
Many in the bathroom died during the wait. One of those people was 31 year old Eddie Justice. Before the gunman entered the bathroom, Eddie could feel the walls closing in. So he texted the person who mattered to him the most. His mother. She was startled awake by two texts at 2:06 in the morning. They read, mommy, I love you in club they're shooting.
- [92:34]
Courtney Brown
His mother's stomach dropped. She texted back immediately asking if he was okay. His response was even more devastating.
- [92:42]
Narrator/Reporter
Call them mommy. Tell them I'm in the bathroom now he's coming. I'm going to die.
- [92:49]
Courtney Brown
In his frenzied state, hiding from the killer, Eddie's texts came few and far between. His mom tried to get information out of him. She learned which bathroom he was in. And then she asked him, are people hurt?
- [93:03]
Narrator/Reporter
Yes, lots.
- [93:05]
Courtney Brown
Then at 2:50, her phone lit up with one of Eddie's final texts.
- [93:10]
Narrator/Reporter
He's a terror.
- [93:12]
Courtney Brown
And then came the last message she'd ever received from her son. A yes to what we don't know. But at 2:51, Eddie Justice's mom spoke to her son for the very last time.
- [93:25]
Narrator/Reporter
Eddie was just 31, a hard working accountant who lived for his family and friends. Every time he saw them, he greeted them with a hug and a kiss. He made everyone he encountered feel like they were the most special person on earth. And tragically, he never got to share that love with anyone again. He died in that bathroom with the gunman just feet away. His family and friends never got to experience one of his famous hugs again. They never got to hear his laugh again. And his mother was forced to reconcile with the final words her son had sent her. Tragically, she wasn't the only mother to experience that. That night in the stall next to Eddie, 19 year old Jason Josephat clung to his phone as he spoke to his mother and siblings. He told him there was a shooter at the club and begged his mom to call 911. They hung onto every word, reassuring Jason, telling him that help was on the way. But abruptly Jason whispered, he's coming. And then silence. The line went dead. Inside the stall, Jason made a courageous decision as the gunman opened fire on them all. During his initial entrance into the bathroom, Jason threw himself over Patience Carter, shielding her. Patience later told his mother that he died instantly. Jason was always the type to put others before himself. His friend Kiara Parham told Orlando Weekly. Jason was the loudest. He was always giggling his laugh was unforgettable. Jason was so immensely loved that his funeral had to use a ticket system to accommodate everyone. One of his close friends, Alexis Schaefer Lopez, told 12News. I was blessed with tickets to his funeral, thank God. But a lot of people know that him aren't able. I kind of just wanted to do something so everyone felt like they were a part of something kind of like that. She added that her one goal in life was to be as happy as he was and as loving as he was because he honestly had no hate in his heart. You can tell by all these people here that everybody loved him. Sadly, all the love and joy that Jason had to give was taken away as he drew his final breaths in that stall.
- [95:35]
Courtney Brown
In the next stall, over 21 year old Alejandro Barrios Martinez realized that at any moment he was going to die. With his last few seconds of life, he texted his partner, Ade Molina. Born and raised in Cuba, Alejandro never imagined he would be able to live the life he had with Ade. He had moved here to secure a better job for himself, and that night he was celebrating having done just that. His father Saul told the Orlando Weekly. Alejandro came to Orlando to get ahead, to build his project of happiness. He was happy, in love with dreams, laughing with friends, celebrating that he was beginning to build the life he had wanted and how he wanted it. End quote. Things had been looking up for Alejandro before that fateful night. But there in the bathroom stall, hiding from the bullets, the text he sent to his boyfriend read, I don't have time to tell you I'm in a shooting and can't leave scared with blood. I love you. Don't doubt it. A few minutes later, he sent another. My love, I am afraid of dying. Sadly, that was the final message Adai received from his soulmate. Alejandro was shot several times. He was just 21 years old. There were a number of people in the bathroom sending messages to loved ones. At some point, the gunman had had enough with all of the phone calls and text messages going off in the stalls. In the silence, every text and call seemed to set him on edge. So much so he began to snap at the survivors, demanding that they stay off their phones. When the phones continued to vibrate, he demanded that they slide the phones under the stall over to him. Without question, everyone did as they were told.
- [97:33]
Narrator/Reporter
Now, by this point, Orlando Police Department personnel had located the cell phone that the shooter had used to contact them and identified its owner. They learned that the shooter was Omar Mir Siddiq Mateen. At 2:48am the shooter called 911 a second time. This time, he spoke with the Crisis Negotiation Team.
- [97:57]
Law Enforcement Officer
Hello. Hi, there. This is Orlando police. Who am I speaking with, please? You're speaking with the person who pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State. Okay, can you tell me where you are right now so I can get you some help? No, because you have to tell America to stop bombing Syria in Iraq. They're killing a lot of innocent people. So what. What am I to do here when people, My people, are getting killed over there? You get what I'm saying? I. I do. I completely get what you're saying. What I'm trying to do is prevent anybody else. The U.S. air strikes. They need to stop the U.S. air strikes. Okay, I understand that. Not the U.S. airstrikes. You have to tell the U.S. government to stop bombing. They're killing too many children. They're killing too many women. I understand that, but here's what. Here's why I'm here. Right now, I'm with the Orlando police. Can you tell me what you know about what's going on tonight? By the way, there's. There's some vehicles outside that have some bonds. Just to let you know, your people are gonna get it, and I'm gonna ignite it if they try to do anything stupid. Okay, I under. I understand that, and I'll pass that along. Can you tell me what vehicle? Because I don't want to see anybody get hurt. No, but I'll tell you this. It can take out a whole city block, almost. I. I understand that. Tell me, in the club, do you have any injured people with you that you brought with you? I'm not. I'm not letting you know nothing. Well, I'm trying to offer you help. The US Is collaborating with Russia, and they're killing innocent women and children. Okay, I hear what you're saying. My homeboy, Cameron Sarnaya, did his thing on the Boston Marathon. So now it's my turn. Okay. Okay. Let's start. My name's Andy. What's yours? My name is Islamic Soldier. Okay. Okay. What can I call you? Call me Mujahideen. Call me the Soldier of God. Okay. So that's. That's a lot for me to say. So can I just. Can I just call you something else? Do you have a name? A nickname? I can help you. Okay, you have a vest. I understand that. Okay, and so what kind of vest are you talking about? Is it a bullet resistant vest? Is it a bomb vest? It's what they use in frames. Okay. Well. Well, I'd like you to stay on the phone with me, please. Tell me you're wearing what I presume from what you're saying you're wearing a bomb vest. No. Well, you said you're wearing a vest. No, I'm not. So what are you wearing? Yeah, like, you know, to go out to a wedding. Okay, I'm not trying to joke with you. I'm trying to be serious and get this peacefully resolved. Okay. So are you wearing a bomb vest? Hello? Are you there?
- [101:23]
Courtney Brown
The call sent shock waves through the survivors in the bathroom. They had survived being shot at many more than once. They had survived being locked in a room with a killer. But now they were faced with a brand new, horrifying reality that the man they were trapped with had a bomb. Everyone tried to keep it together. Many clutched their injuries, trying to stop the bleeding with just their hands or clothing. Others stepped in to help, applying pressure and trying to keep the injured awake. With every passing second, they prayed that the officers would breach the room and put an end to their hell. Quite the opposite was happening. Outside. Officers had retreated after the shooter made that 911 call. Every officer dispersed, leaving the building with word of a possible bomb inside. They were instructed to leave the nightclub and wait outside in the parking lot for the next 40 minutes. Officers stood there trying to come up with a plan to get the hostages out, which meant for that entire time, the survivors were trapped, utterly alone with a killer, and that help was still a ways away.
- [102:37]
Narrator/Reporter
Meanwhile, outside, many of the injured that had been rescued from the dance floor, patio and other rooms were taken to a triage area set up across the street at Einstein Bagels on South Orange Avenue. But there were so many people with gunshot wounds, there wasn't enough space for everyone. Several police officers started transferring the injured in their own police cruisers to the hospital. An unmarked police truck was loaded with people inside the bed of the truck and escorted away from the scene. All around, there were people making tourniquettes or performing cpr. One man asked for plastic gloves so he could tend to the wounded. However, he was told there weren't enough. But without thinking twice, he started to help anyway, ignoring the feeling of warm blood all over his hands. Approximately 42 victims were taken to nearby hospitals, but inside, there were still many victims trapped. At 3:20am an Orlando police Department Avatar tactical robot was sent into Pulse to assess the south bathroom, which is the bathroom that the gunman shot into earlier that night. An obstruction stopped them from seeing a clear picture of what was happening, but the audio system on the robot allowed them to tell those in the bathroom that they were working on a rescue. Still, it would be over an hour before that rescue came. But across the hall, the victims in the north restroom waited in agony as the gunman paced inside the room with them. During that time, he silenced phone calls from negotiators and texted his wife. Throughout the night, the shooter sent scattered texts to his wife, Noor Salman. Around 2am, Noor texted him, asking, where are you? In response, he simply said, everything okay?
- [104:20]
Courtney Brown
She responded several times over the next hour, sending him messages that read, your mom is worried about you and so am I. You know you have work tomorrow, right? Then just question marks. Then one more. Where are you?
- [104:36]
Narrator/Reporter
At around 4am, he texted her. You know what happened?
- [104:40]
Courtney Brown
What happened, habibi? What happened?
- [104:43]
Narrator/Reporter
At 4. 29, he sent his final text to his wife. I love you, babe.
- [104:48]
Courtney Brown
At that same moment in the bathroom, the gunman told all the victims around him that he had four bomb vests and that he was going to strap them onto them and send them outside to kill the police. One of the women in the stall, who still had her phone, texted her brother, who alerted the police. In a panic, hostage negotiators called the gunman over and over, desperate for him to answer. In the background, you can hear officers discussing their plan as they repeatedly try to call him.
- [105:22]
Law Enforcement Officer
Omar. I need to pass along what your concerns are. He has not said anything about. He said the bomb, Omar, in the park, in the cars, in the parking lot. He's not confirming anything. And he said, I'm wearing a vest, which didn't go into a dress vest, a bulletproof vest or a bomb vest. That's all I got. When we question them on it and shut down. Ringing I got 03.15. Yep. I'm sorry. I'll just say that on the tape. Do you need more paper? Huh? We think so. We called him Omar, and he did not. He didn't deny even. Please back off. Yeah, he's off again. Ring, ring. Please leave your message for. I tried that off the bat. He sounds like he's in a very sterile environment, like he's at home in an apartment. I don't hear anybody. Maybe in an office, could. Maybe in a bathroom. Could be. Please leave your message for. Singular. And then he said, for what kind? Ringing 03.16. 1. Ring. Omar, listen, this is Andy from the police again. I don't want to mess up your message. You come out and you can tell it yourself. I'll arrange media or whatever you want. It's got to be a first step. I understand that, but obviously, you know it's my job. I need to be in contact with you. I'm your communication lifeline to everyone that's outside. I'm trying to pass along your message, and I don't want to screw that message up. You tell me you don't want people to get hurt. I presume that includes you. Tell me your message, and I will pass that along. You don't want the bombing. Tell me about it. I'll write it down. Omar. Omar, please talk to me. I want to get your message out. I want to pass along what you have to say. I can't do that if you won't talk to me. Hang up. 317. Going right back in. As you're annoying me with these calls, we're going to keep calling. There's only a voice we got.
- [108:23]
Narrator/Reporter
With the gunman not answering and the threat of a bomb imminent, law enforcement decided that they had to move. The Orlando Police Department report on the shooting reads that OBD command staff, fearing the imminent loss of life, changed their strategy from negotiation to taking immediate action to free the hostages and neutralize the suspect. That decision came after the gunman had been holding the hostages for over three hours. If that seems like it took a long time for law enforcement to make that decision, it's because, well, it was. The timeline of Pulse and law enforcement's response inside has been plagued by controversy. And don't worry. It's something we're going to discuss in this series. But for now, let's take a look at the final moments of the Pulse nightclub shooting as they unraveled.
- [109:11]
Courtney Brown
At 5:01am Officers used a loudspeaker and urgently instructed everyone to move away from the wall. Then, at 5:02am, exactly three hours after the shooting began, the explosive charge was detonated, carving a hole in the thick walls of the club. But it was no use. It didn't create a large enough opening for entry. So the SWAT team made their next move. Using an armored vehicle called the Bearcat, they began to breach the bathroom wall. But when they finally made it through, they realized that the hole didn't even lead to the bathroom. It led to the hallway. So they'd have to try again. Eventually, the Bearcat finally created a large enough opening in the south bathroom to initiate a rescue operation. And from there, they worked on bringing survivors to safety. But they were instructed to leave the bodies of the dead behind for survivors. As police crashed through the wall, creating an opening for them, it didn't feel like a rescue. It felt like another traumatic event. The entire bathroom shook as officers forced their way inside. People who were already horrified, traumatized and bleeding screamed with their last bit of strength. When the shooter realized where the SWAT team was entering, he threw open the door of the north bathroom and fired directly into the south bathroom at the rescuers. The SWAT officers returned fire, unleashing a wave of bullets as survivors tried to exit through the hole in the wall. In that exchange, 11 officers flooded into the south bathroom, standing between the survivors and the shooter. And there in the hallway, the shooter was struck down. Bullets sliced through his chest, his foot, and his leg. In total, he was shot eight times. There, on the floor of the Pulse nightclub, the gunman died.
- [111:11]
Narrator/Reporter
After 3 hours and 12 minutes of terror and carnage, it was finally over. But for many of the victims, the endless night continued. The gunman's death didn't stop their wounds from bleeding or their loved ones from dying in their arms. Here are the words of Patience Carter, who was holding her cousin, Akira Murray, as law enforcement rushed in.
- [111:33]
Colin Browen
My cousin, I had her on my lap. The little bit of strength I had in my arm, I used to pull her on me and pick her head up so the water wouldn't run. Because when they blew it down, the pipe was running still. And then I'm telling them, like, please take her. Just take her. Like, we gotta take you first. That's what one of the rescue people said to me. We gotta take you first. I'm like, no, take her. She's still breathing. I'm okay. She's breathing. She. I. They. They didn't listen to me at all, obviously. Cause she died. They left her in the club before
- [112:01]
Narrator/Reporter
she died inside the club.
- [112:02]
Colin Browen
They left her in the club, yeah.
- [112:04]
Narrator/Reporter
So is that negligence, in your opinion?
- [112:05]
Law Enforcement Officer
Should they have taken her right away? She was breathing, you said.
- [112:08]
Paula or Friend of Paula
Mm.
- [112:09]
Law Enforcement Officer
Socrates didn't take her right away.
- [112:11]
Colin Browen
Listen, I don't know. I don't know. I can't speak for them. I really don't. And every time I think about that, I get really real upset. I think the police, more than everybody, were the most scared. This is their first time coming in, seeing all this, and they're just like, raise your hands, raise your hands. Like they said, any other shooters in the bathroom? They're like, no. They dug me out. They had to escort me to a pickup truck.
- [112:35]
Courtney Brown
They put me there.
- [112:35]
Colin Browen
They brought another victim that was shot, which I believe it was Tierra Parker. And she was just about to ready to faint.
- [112:43]
Survivor or Witness
They grabbed me by my arms. And and my legs and carried me to the back of the black F150. And I just remember them asking for a phone number to call and I gave them my mom's phone number, the only one I can memorize, and the wind hit me and I just. Everything went black after that.
- [113:04]
Narrator/Reporter
Join us next week for part three of our four part series on the Pulse nightclub Shooting. In part three will discuss the shooting from the perspective of the families of those killed, the remaining victims, and the response of our nation. If you're a Patreon subscriber, all parts of this series have already been posted. In honor of the victims, survivors and heroes of Pulse, we will be making a donation to the LGBTQ Center Orlando, an organization that continues to provide support and resources for the families of the 49 victims of the Pulse tragedy, as well as the numerous survivors. Hey everybody, thank you so much for listening to part two of our Pulse Nightclub series. This is a truly horrific story and it's just crazy to me that it's already been 10 years since all of this went down. If you want to get access to the rest of the series right away, please consider supporting the show on Patreon. On Patreon, you can get early ad free access to every episode of the show. And when we do series like this series, we always post every single episode from the series, every part of the series at the same time. So if you love our work and you want to support what we do here, consider joining us there. We have some pretty good stuff to offer. We also have an entire library of bonus episodes of the show. So if you've already listened to every episode of Murder in America and you want more, if you support us on Patreon, you can get access to that bonus library of full length episodes of the show. Also, don't forget to leave us a five star review wherever you listen to this podcast, whether that's Apple Podcasts or Spotify, those reviews really help us out. And also follow us on Instagram derderinamerica to see photos from every case that we cover here on the show. Anyways, y', all, that's about it for this week. I will see you guys next week for part three of this series and yeah, catch you on the next one.