Peter Schorsch
GQ published a touching must-read chronicle of Orlando’s response to the Pulse nightclub massacre that left 49 dead and 53 wounded.
“This story is not about what happened that night but, rather, what happened in the days and weeks and months that followed, as a community—a community of unbreakable young men and women—found it within themselves to forge ahead,” wrote Sean Flynn.
The story follows Javier and Adrian, a married couple who survived the shooting, but are still dealing with the aftermath.
Javier still has a bullet in his abdomen from that night, when he huddled in an upstairs office with five other people while the gunman tore through the nightclub.
He and Adrian are still struggling to process the event, and while some days are good, small triggers, such as hearing a song on the radio, can bring back a wave of emotion that is lingering under the surface.
Flynn’s piece also details the outpouring of support, both local and national, in the wake of the tragedy, which is still being felt months later.
“Some of them, they’re just—just—starting to come out of that fog,” a theater owner named Blue said of the survivors. “Just starting. And that fog is dense, it’s thick, and it’s a mile long. And they’re just starting to push it away.”
