Nine years have passed since the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida — an act of unimaginable violence that claimed the lives of 49 people and left 53 others injured. Yet the memory of that night on 12 June 2016 continues to reverberate deeply, particularly within the LGBTQ+ and Latinx communities.
Pulse was more than a nightclub. On “Latin Night,” it was a safe haven — a space for joy, expression, and community. That early morning, around 320 people were inside when a 29-year-old gunman entered with two firearms and began shooting. At 2:09 a.m., the venue’s Facebook page posted a desperate message: “Everyone get out of Pulse and keep running.” The horror ended shortly after 5 a.m. when the shooter was killed by law enforcement.
It remains the deadliest single act of violence against the LGBTQ+ community in U.S. history.
A Community Still Mourning, Still Demanding Change
Each June, vigils are held in Florida and across the country in remembrance of the victims. The 2025 anniversary comes at a time of growing urgency around U.S. gun violence, following recent mass shootings and continued political inaction.
Survivors have consistently called for stronger gun laws. Orlando Torres, a Pulse survivor, told MyNews13 in the aftermath of the 2022 Uvalde school shooting: “We have been screaming for this for mega years. It’s a shame… innocent little children, 9, 10 years old.”
Fellow survivor Patience Murray expressed frustration to The Guardian, saying survivors “pour their hearts out to these leaders, and then nothing happens.”
The physical and emotional tolls remain. Leonel Melendez, a 43-year-old survivor, still struggles with hearing loss and vision impairment, describing his recovery as “long and hard.” He added, “[Lawmakers] should make it so that not just anybody can own a gun… there has to be a better way.”
Honouring the Pulse 49
On this ninth anniversary, we remember each of the lives lost:
- Stanley Almodovar III, 23
- Amanda Alvear, 25
- Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26
- Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33
- Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21
- Martin Benitez Torres, 33
- Antonio D Brown, 30
- Darryl R Burt II, 29
- Jonathan A Camuy Vega, 24
- Angel L Candelario-Padro, 28
- Simon A Carrillo Fernandez, 31
- Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25
- Luis D Conde, 39
- Cory J Connell, 21
- Tevin E Crosby, 25
- Franky J Dejesus Velazquez, 50
- Deonka D Drayton, 32
- Mercedes M Flores, 26
- Peter O Gonzalez-Cruz, 22
- Juan R Guerrero, 22
- Paul T Henry, 41
- Frank Hernandez, 27
- Miguel A Honorato, 30
- Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40
- Jason B Josaphat, 19
- Eddie J Justice, 30
- Anthony L Laureano Disla, 25
- Christopher A Leinonen, 32
- Brenda L Marquez McCool, 49
- Jean C Mendez Perez, 35
- Akyra Monet Murray, 18
- Kimberly Morris, 37
- Jean C Nieves Rodriguez, 27
- Luis O Ocasio-Capo, 20
- Geraldo A Ortiz-Jimenez, 25
- Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36
- Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32
- Enrique L Rios Jr, 25
- Juan P Rivera Velazquez, 37
- Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24
- Christopher J Sanfeliz, 24
- Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35
- Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25
- Edward Sotomayor Jr, 34
- Shane E Tomlinson, 33
- Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25
- Luis S Vielma, 22
- Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37
- Jerald A Wright, 31
These were sons, daughters, friends, parents, and partners. Their lives mattered. Their names live on. As we reflect on this sombre anniversary, may we recommit to justice, remembrance, and meaningful action.
