Floridians Commemorate Three Years Since The Pulse Nightclub Mass Shooting In Orlando
ORLANDO (CBSMiami) - Wednesday marks three years since the mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando where 49 people lost their lives.
Fifty-three others were injured, at the hands of domestic terrorist Omar Mateen.
It is regarded as one of the worst mass shootings in the history of the United States and the worst attack on the LGBTQ community.
But that hasn't stopped thousands of people from sending messages of love to mourn and celebrate the lives of those lost.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took to Twitter saying, "Today we mourn the loss of life of 49 innocent victims of an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando that targeted the LGBTQ and Hispanic community, and Florida as a whole. In honor of their memory, I am ordering flags to be lowered to half-staff."
The governor also issued a proclamation recognizing June 12th as Pulse Remembrance Day in Florida. Governor DeSantis asked Floridians to pause for a moment of silence at 9 a.m. and ordered that all state flags be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset.
The hashtag, '#Pulse' has been trending on Twitter all day as well.
Early Wednesday, people gathered outside of the former nightclub for a moment of silence at 2:02 a.m., the exact time the massacre occurred on June 12, 2016.
Several other remembrances were held all around Orlando, including one local church that rang its bells 49 times to honor the victims.
Both the Orlando Pride, of the National Women's Soccer League, and Orland City SC, of Major League Soccer, announced that the doors to their home venue, Exploria Stadium, would be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to honor the victims.
The stadium has several seats decorated with Pride colors to help remember the lives lost.
Florida Senator Rick Scott also gave a speech on the Senate floor, after he and Senator Marco Rubio presented a resolution on the terror attack, which passed unanimously.
"The attack, an attack on America, our state, the City of Orlando, our Hispanic and gay communities was a terrorist attack," said Senator Scott. "This act of terrorism was an attempt to rip at the seams of our society, to divide us and to instill fear in our hearts. But Floridians are strong. Floridians are selfless. Floridians are fighters."
OnePulse Foundation, a nonprofit started by the owners of the nightclub, began honoring every victim 49 hours before the tragedy's three-year mark. The foundation posted individual tweets for each of the fallen, with an image of them attached.
The foundation is hosting their Annual Remembrance Ceremony at the former Pulse Nightclub, now known as the Pulse Interim Memorial. The event begins at 7 p.m. and it is open to the public. Local leaders are set to give their reflections and songs and programming will be played to remember the victims.
Anyone interested on learning more about the event can visit the onePulse website.
"As we mark three years from the tragedy that has changed Orlando forever, we continue to reflect on the impact the night has left on our city and the world" said OnePULSE Foundation CEO and former Pulse Nightclub owner Barbara Poma. "Each day we work to grow from this tragedy by battling hatred with education, progress, hope and unity. June 12 will remain a day of remembrance and honor for our 49 angels."
On Monday, U.S. Reps. Darren Soto and Stephanie Murphy joined Poma in another ceremony outside of the interim memorial, to introduce new legislation aimed at designating the location as a national memorial.
Poma and OnePulse said they plan to build a national memorial and museum by 2022.
CBS4 remembers the 49 fallen angels:
Stanley Almodovar III, 23-years-old
Amanda L. Alvear, 25-years-old
Oscar A. Aracena Montero, 26-years-old
Rodolfo Ayala Ayala, 33-years-old
Antonio Davon Brown, 29-years-old
Darryl Roman Burt II, 29-years-old
Angel Candelario-Padro, 28-years-old
Juan Chavez Martinez, 25-years-old
Luis Daniel Conde, 39-years-old
Cory James Connell, 21-years-old
Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25-years-old
Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32-years-old
Simón Adrian Carrillo Fernández, 31-years-old
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25-years-old
Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26-years-old
Peter Ommy Gonzalez Cruz, 22-years-old
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22-years-old
Paul Terrell Henry, 41-years-old
Frank Hernandez, 27-years-old
Miguel Angel Honorato, 30-years-old
Javier Jorge Reyes, 40-years-old
Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19-years-old
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30-years-old
Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25-years-old
Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32-years-old
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21-years-old
Brenda Marquez McCool, 49-years-old
Gilberto R. Silva Menendez, 25-years-old
Kimberly Jean Morris, 37-years-old
Akyra Monet Murray, 18-years-old
Luis Omar Ocasio Capo, 20-years-old
Geraldo A. Ortiz Jimenez, 25-years-old
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36-years-old
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32-years-old
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35-years-old
Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25-years-old
Jean Carlos Nieves Rodríguez, 27-years-old
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano-Rosado, 35-years-old
Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24-years-old
Yilmary Rodríguez Solivan, 24-years-old
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34-years-old
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33-years-old
Martin Benitez Torres, 33-years-old
Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24-years-old
Juan Pablo Rivera Velázquez, 37-years-old
Luis Sergio Vielma, 22-years-old
Franky Jimmy DeJesus Velázquez, 50-years-old
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37-years-old
Jerald Arthur Wright, 31-years-old
