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| Orlando victims: travel agent, brand manager and technician among the dead | Orlando victims: travel agent, brand manager and technician among the dead |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The identities of the Orlando massacre have begun to emerge, beginning a tally that officials said could take some time to complete. | The identities of the Orlando massacre have begun to emerge, beginning a tally that officials said could take some time to complete. |
| Hundreds of family members and friends gathered in downtown hotels and hospitals to wait to know whether their loved ones were among the living or dead. | Hundreds of family members and friends gathered in downtown hotels and hospitals to wait to know whether their loved ones were among the living or dead. |
| Related: Orlando shooting: relatives of those missing wait for news – live | Related: Orlando shooting: relatives of those missing wait for news – live |
| At least one state police officer, who wished to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak with the media, told the Guardian he believed it would take at least several more days to identify all the victims of the shooting. | |
| Among those confirmed dead were young men and women who had just begun careers, moved to Florida to push forward in careers, or established themselves in the city known for international travel, theme parks and vacations. | Among those confirmed dead were young men and women who had just begun careers, moved to Florida to push forward in careers, or established themselves in the city known for international travel, theme parks and vacations. |
| Edward Sotomayor, 34 | |
| “He was super bright,” said Al Ferguson, owner of the Al and Chuck Travel, an agency focused on booking vacations for gay men, about his former employee, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The 34-year-old worked as a brand manager, and had invited Ferguson to come to the club that evening, the newspaper reported. | |
| Related: 'He's coming. I'm gonna die': son's text to mother reveals Orlando shooting terror | Related: 'He's coming. I'm gonna die': son's text to mother reveals Orlando shooting terror |
| Ferguson told the Sentinel that Sotomayor, knowing the perils that gay, lesbian and transgender travelers could face because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, didn’t shy away from exploring. | Ferguson told the Sentinel that Sotomayor, knowing the perils that gay, lesbian and transgender travelers could face because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, didn’t shy away from exploring. |
| “What I will say, over and over again, was he was a person who said, ‘We cannot be afraid,’” Ferguson told the Sentinel. “I know his friends are going to be the exact same way … We are not going to be afraid.” | “What I will say, over and over again, was he was a person who said, ‘We cannot be afraid,’” Ferguson told the Sentinel. “I know his friends are going to be the exact same way … We are not going to be afraid.” |
| Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 | |
| Guerrero, 22, had only told his family he was gay before the New Year, his cousin told the Associated Press. | Guerrero, 22, had only told his family he was gay before the New Year, his cousin told the Associated Press. |
| “He was never the type to go out to parties, would rather stay home and care for his niece and nephew,” his cousin Robert Guerrero said. | “He was never the type to go out to parties, would rather stay home and care for his niece and nephew,” his cousin Robert Guerrero said. |
| He said Guerrero was a telemarketer, and recently began attending school at the University of Central Florida. “He was always this amazing person ... he was like a big brother to me.” | He said Guerrero was a telemarketer, and recently began attending school at the University of Central Florida. “He was always this amazing person ... he was like a big brother to me.” |
| On Sunday morning, after learning that so many people had died at the nightclub that his cousin had gone to once in a while, Robert Guerrero started to become concerned. Later in the day, his fears were realised when the family learned that Guerrero was identified as one of the victims. | |
| Stanley Almodovar, 23 | |
| Almodovar, 23, who worked as a pharmacy technician, was described as “kind but sassy” by a friend, Ivelisse Santiago, according to the Washington Post. She said he defended her when she fell down dancing at a club. “He was so proud of who he was,” she told the newspaper. | |
| Almodovar’s mother, Rosalie Ramos, was awakened by a call at 2am on Sunday telling her something had happened. She told the Sentinel her son posted a Snapchat video of himself singing and laughing on his way to Pulse nightclub. | Almodovar’s mother, Rosalie Ramos, was awakened by a call at 2am on Sunday telling her something had happened. She told the Sentinel her son posted a Snapchat video of himself singing and laughing on his way to Pulse nightclub. |
| “I wish I had that (video) to remember him forever,” she told the newspaper. | “I wish I had that (video) to remember him forever,” she told the newspaper. |
| Eric Ortiz-Rivera, 36 | |
| Ortiz-Rivera, 36, a merchandiser for Toys “R” Us, was said to have moved to Florida from Puerto Rico to start a career. | |
| “Eric was always willing to help everybody,” Abismel Colon Comez, his roommate in Orlando, told the Sentinel. “He sacrificed himself a lot for his family … He loved his brother, and he was always being generous.” | |
| Luis S Vielma, 22 | |
| Vielma, 22, reportedly lived in nearby Sanford. He worked on the Harry Potter ride at the Universal theme park, according to JK Rowling. | |
| His Facebook profile showed him pictured with others at Disney World, with the caption: “True friends who become family.” | His Facebook profile showed him pictured with others at Disney World, with the caption: “True friends who become family.” |
| High school friend Eddi Anderson told the Tampa Bay Times that Vielma was known for his pleasant attitude and warm demeanor. | High school friend Eddi Anderson told the Tampa Bay Times that Vielma was known for his pleasant attitude and warm demeanor. |
| Josh Boesch, who worked with Vielma at Universal, told the Orlando Sentinel: “He was always a friend you could call. He was always open and available.” | Josh Boesch, who worked with Vielma at Universal, told the Orlando Sentinel: “He was always a friend you could call. He was always open and available.” |
| Vielma “just wanted to make people smile”, another co-worker, Olga Glomba, said. | Vielma “just wanted to make people smile”, another co-worker, Olga Glomba, said. |
| Kimberly Morris, 37 | |
| Morris, 37, moved to Orlando just a few months ago and had taken a job at Pulse nightclub as a bouncer, the Orlando Sentinel reported. | Morris, 37, moved to Orlando just a few months ago and had taken a job at Pulse nightclub as a bouncer, the Orlando Sentinel reported. |
| “She was so excited,” ex-girlfriend Starr Shelton told the newspaper. “She’d just started working there and told me how she was thrilled to get more involved in the LGBT community there.” | “She was so excited,” ex-girlfriend Starr Shelton told the newspaper. “She’d just started working there and told me how she was thrilled to get more involved in the LGBT community there.” |
| Friends described Morris as a kind, sweet person. | Friends described Morris as a kind, sweet person. |
| Narvell Benning met Morris when they were in college at Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut, where Benning said they both played basketball. | Narvell Benning met Morris when they were in college at Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut, where Benning said they both played basketball. |
| “I can’t think of a time when I did not see a smile on her face,” Benning told the Sentinel. “I’m so thankful of the good memories I have of her. This is just unreal.” | “I can’t think of a time when I did not see a smile on her face,” Benning told the Sentinel. “I’m so thankful of the good memories I have of her. This is just unreal.” |
| Peter Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 | |
| Gonzalez-Cruz, 22, attended high school in New Jersey until 2013 and was working at UPS in Orlando, according to his Facebook page. He spoke both English and Spanish and had lived in Africa. | Gonzalez-Cruz, 22, attended high school in New Jersey until 2013 and was working at UPS in Orlando, according to his Facebook page. He spoke both English and Spanish and had lived in Africa. |
| His cousins posted messages on Twitter after learning of his death, the Sentinel reported. “Rest in peace to my wonderful cousin,” read one. “May you rest easy in Heaven,” read another. | His cousins posted messages on Twitter after learning of his death, the Sentinel reported. “Rest in peace to my wonderful cousin,” read one. “May you rest easy in Heaven,” read another. |
| A friend on Facebook said Gonzalez-Cruz was known as Peter Ommy, the name relatives and friends used on social media. | A friend on Facebook said Gonzalez-Cruz was known as Peter Ommy, the name relatives and friends used on social media. |
| Eddie Justice, 30 | |
| Justice, 30, was an accountant. He texted his mother from the club’s bathroom, telling her to call police. | |
| His cousin, Millie Ortiz, said he could “walk in and the room would light up”. She said he had been a “gentle soul” who would “give you the shirt off his back” and was “very upfront and outspoken and lived life to the fullest without any regrets”. | His cousin, Millie Ortiz, said he could “walk in and the room would light up”. She said he had been a “gentle soul” who would “give you the shirt off his back” and was “very upfront and outspoken and lived life to the fullest without any regrets”. |
| Amanda Alvear, 25 | Amanda Alvear, 25 |
| Alvear, 25, from Davenport, Florida, was a nursing student at the University of South Florida who had posted a Snapchat video of her friends in Pulse – footage which appears to end abruptly with the noise of gunfire. | |
| Her brother, Brian Alvear, told local newspaper the Ledger that he believed Amanda had been among the hostages taken by Mateen. “A lot of hostages were in the bathroom, last I heard that’s where she was,” he said. | |
| Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 | |
| Flores lived in Davenport, a small town about 45 minutes south of Orlando. She worked at Target there, during the week. | |
| On Saturday night, Flores had gone to Pulse with friends, including fellow victim Amanda Alvear. She grew up in the Queens borough of New York City, before studying at Valencia community college in Orlando. | |
| Miguel Honorato, 30 | |
| Honorato, from Apopka, Florida, had been in the club with three friends, all of whom made it home safe. But Honorato, who had a wife and three children, did not. One of his eight siblings, Jose, told local media Miguel owned a Mexican restaurants with their parents. | |
| Martin Benitez Torres, 33 | |
| Torres was from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and had recently arrived in Orlando to visit family. On his Facebook page, he posted videos of himself and friends around the city on the day of the shooting, and noted how beautiful he found Orlando. | |
| In Puerto Rico he studied at the Ana G Méndez University System in San Juan. In the moments after the shooting his friends posted urgent messages to his profile, such as, “please i need your number it’s urgent call me I left my number inbox”. | |
| Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 | |
| Ocasio-Capo was a dancer, and worked at a Starbucks in Kissimmee, about half an hour south of Orlando. | |
| Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 | |
| Tomlinson was the lead singer in an Orlando band called Frequency. | |
| According the band’s Twitter account, they performed at the Blue Martini Lounge in Orlando at 8pm on Saturday night, before the shooting at Pulse. | |
| Previously Tomlinson had studied at East Carolina State University, and moved to Orlando about four years ago. | |
| Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40 | |
| Jorge-Reyes worked as a supervisor at the Gucci store in Orlando. He grew up in Guayama, Puerto Rico, and studied at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. | |
| Enrique L Rios Jr, 25 | |
| Rios lived in Brooklyn, New York, and was visiting Orlando on vacation. | |
| In an appeal for help to return her son’s body to New York, his mother, Gertrude, wrote on a crowdfunding page: “My family is torn apart and all I would like is to have my son with me so he can the funeral he deserves. My son was a good kid. He was just having a great time on his vacation, until this deranged man came in and shot the place up.” | |
| Rios studied social work at St Francis College and worked at True Care Home Health Care. | |
| On Facebook, his grandmother Cynthia Perez wrote of the news of his death: “WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE ENOUGH?” | |
| Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 | Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 |
| Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 | Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 |
| Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25 | |
| Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 | Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 |
| Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 | Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 |
| Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 | Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 |
| Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 | |
| Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 | |
| City authorities in Orlando also added the following names to the list of victims: | City authorities in Orlando also added the following names to the list of victims: |