Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
Equality Florida said it is making no “heartbroken and angry” about a mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub.
In a statement Sunday morning, Equality Florida said it was “reeling from the tragic news” that a gunman opened fire at Pulse Orlando, a popular gay dance club in Orlando.
According to the Associated Press, a gunman wielding an assault-type rifle and handgun took hostages and opened fire inside the crowded nightclub, killing approximately 20 people and wounding 42 before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers.
The Associated Press reported Orlando Police Chief said the suspect exchanged gunfire with an officer working at the club around 2 a.m., then went inside and took hostages among more than 300 people inside.
“We are heartbroken and angry that senseless violence has once again destroyed lives in our state and in our country,” said Equality Florida officials in a statement. “Gay clubs hold a significant place in LGBTQ history. They were often the only safe gathering place and this horrific act strikes directly at our sense of safety. June commemorates our community standing up to anti-LGBTQ violence at the Stonewall Inn, the nightclub that has become the first LGBTQ site recognized as a national monument.”
The organization said it has received “a steady stream of emails and messages” from people looking to help or “make sense of the senseless.”
“We make no assumptions on motive. We will await the details in tears of sadness and anger,” the group said in a statement. “We stand in solidarity and keep our thoughts on all whose lives have been lost or altered forever in this tragedy.”The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
