There have been more victims identified from the horrific Orlando shooting that took place on Sunday morning in the LGBT nightclub Pulse. Out of the 50 victims that were murdered, we’re now seeing that little by little, these victims are being identified.
In an effort to get answers out to the media about the victims in a timely manner, Orlando has started a website to identify these victims after they notified the families. This is unique, as the Orlando shooting has been labeled as the worst massacre in American history.
As of right now there are 36 victims listed on the site. Their identities are listed below.
“Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old
Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 years old
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 years old
Luis S. Vielma, 22 years old
Kimberly Morris, 37 years old
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old
Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old
Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old
Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25 years old
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old
Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 years old
Amanda Alvear, 25 years old
Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old
Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 years old
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25 years old
Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 years old
Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 years old
Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old
Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40 years old
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old
Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old
Cory James Connell, 21 years old
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37 years old
Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old
Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25 years old
Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old
Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old”
Many news reports noted that this attack happened during Latin night at Pulse. The owners of Pulse referred to their business as “not just another gay club.” Barbara Poma and Ron Legler opened the club back in 2004. The LGBT club hosted a myriad of themes, including themed LGBT performances and LGBT educational events.
In a statement Poma said , “Like everyone in the country, I am devastated about the horrific events that have taken place today. Pulse, and the men and women who work there, have been my family for nearly 15 years. From the beginning, Pulse has served as place of love and acceptance for the LGBTQ community.”
After obtaining a list of the victims names, People Magazine reached out to the families to get a clearer picture of who these people were in their day to day lives and what they meant to their families so they aren’t just names in this tragedy.
Edward Sotomayor Jr died trying to shield his boyfriend; first victim IDs in Orlando given: https://t.co/fEArJF5xpZ pic.twitter.com/siNPCkFkYX
— PerthNow (@perthnow) June 13, 2016
Thirty-four-year-old Edward Sotomayor Jr., known as “Top-Hat Eddie,” was one of the first victims identified on Sunday. He was a brand manager of aLandCHUCK.travel, an LGBT travel agency.
Sotomayor’s friend told the outlet, “He was one of the greatest guys I’ve ever met. He touched so many people’s lives because he’s such a positive person. He would do anything for anybody.”
Of the grief he feels over his friend, Jason Howell said, “I just started bursting into tears and I’ve been like that all day. You never think that one of your friends is going to be killed in a terrorist attack.”
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado was 35-years-old and a father to a 5-year-old. He was also a professional dancer, as he used to dance for Disney in Universal Studios.
His friend Glenda Padua told People , “He was a great, great father.”
Eddie Justice texted his mother “Mommy I love you.” Our #PulseNightclub victim profiles: https://t.co/q0FJxay4LG pic.twitter.com/K8zhTiXsj4
— Jeff Weiner (@JeffWeinerOS) June 13, 2016
Another victim’s story stuck out at the very beginning of this coverage. As the Inquisitr reported , 30-year-old Eddie Justice texted his mother, Mina Justice, from inside a bathroom of the club at around 2:06 a.m. His mother, who had been looking for her son after the texts stopped, got confirmation that he was one of the victims in the shooting.
Justice warned his mother with a series of heartbreaking text messages. She awoke to one that said, “Mommy I love you.” The text messages became more chilling as Justice confirmed that the shooter was holding people hostage in the bathroom. He sent the text “I’m going to die” and another saying “Call police.”
So far, Mina Justice has not released a statement following the news of Eddie’s death.
[Photo by Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Images]