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These Are the Victims Who’ve Been Identified in the Orlando Nightclub Shooting

Authorities have named the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting that left 50 people dead, including gunman Omar Mateen, and 53 injured.

The massacre occurred in the early hours of Sunday, June 12, at Pulse, a gay nightclub, and is now the most deadly mass shooting in U.S. history. The City of Orlando first began identifying the victims on Sunday afternoon.

A candlelight vigil for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando at Frank Kitts Park on June 13, 2016, in Wellington, New Zealand.
A candlelight vigil for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando at Frank Kitts Park on June 13, 2016, in Wellington, New Zealand.

Related: Orlando Nightclub Shooting: What We Know

Here is what we know about the 49 victims:

Edward Sotomayor Jr.
Edward Sotomayor Jr.

Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34

Sotomayor was a caring, energetic man who “was just always part of the fun,” according to his cousin David Sotomayor, who spoke to the Associated Press. The two discovered they were related after meeting at Orlando’s Gay Days festival nearly 10 years ago, the AP reported. Edward worked as a brand manager for ALandCHUCK.travel, a company that organizes cruises for those in the LGBTQ community.

“You never think that’s going to be the last time you speak to him,” David, a drag queen who appeared on season 1 of RuPaul’s Drag Race as Jade, told the AP. “It’s just heartbreaking to know it just can happen anytime.”

Stanley Almodovar III
Stanley Almodovar III

Stanley Almodovar III, 23

Almodovar’s mother, Rosalie Ramos, had prepared food for him to eat when he came home from his night out at Pulse nightclub. Hours later, at around 2 a.m., she received a devastating phone call notifying her that “something had happened,” according to the AP.

“He was so proud of who he was,” Almodovar’s friend Hazel Ramirez told The Washington Post of the pharmacy technician, who posted a video on Snapchat of himself singing and laughing on his way to the club. Said his mother, “I wish I had that to remember him forever.”

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Luis “Omar” Ocasio-Capo, 20

Capo was a dancer who worked at a Starbucks in a Target in Kissimmee, Florida, according to the AP. His friends and family shared countless tributes on Facebook after officials confirmed that he was one of the victims.

“He lit up any area he worked in, especially Starbucks,” coworker Claudia Mason wrote. “So sad that his life was cut so short by such an evil person! Pray for Omar’s family.”

Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22

Guerrero worked as a telemarketer and was a student at the University of Central Florida. His cousin Robert Guerrero told the AP, “He was always this amazing person, [and] he was like a big brother to me. He was never the type to go out to parties, would rather stay home and care for his niece and nephew.”

Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36

Ortiz-Rivera was married to his husband for about a year, his cousin Orlando Gonzalez told The New York Times. Gonzalez said he worked at Party City and Sunglass Hut and was “artistic” and a “goofball.”

Related: PHOTOS: Celebrity LGBTQ Allies

Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22

Gonzalez-Cruz was known by friends and family as “Peter Ommy.” His aunt Sonia Cruz told ABC News, “Peter makes a difference everywhere he goes. He was a happy person. If Peter is not at the party, no one wants to go.” Cruz noted that her nephew worked at UPS.

Luis S. Vielma
Luis S. Vielma

Luis S. Vielma, 22

Vielma was a student at Seminole State College of Florida. He worked at Universal Orlando Resort, where he operated the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. “He was always a friend you could call,” coworker Josh Boesch told the Orlando Sentinel. “He was always open and available.”

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling paid tribute to Vielma on Twitter after the shooting, writing, “Luis Vielma worked on the Harry Potter ride at Universal. He was 22 years old. I can’t stop crying.”

Kimberly Morris, 37

Morris worked as a bouncer at Pulse nightclub. Her ex-girlfriend Starr Shelton told the Orlando Sentinel, “She was so excited. She’d just started working there and told me how she was thrilled to get more involved in the LGBT community there.” Morris previously attended Post University in Connecticut, where she played on the basketball team.

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Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30

During the shooting, Justice, who worked as an accountant, texted his mother, Mina Justice, and asked her to call the police. “Hurry. He’s in the bathroom with us,” he wrote. “He’s coming. I’m gonna die.” Fifteen hours later, Mina told CBS News reporters that she still hadn’t heard from her son. His name was added to the list of the deceased early Monday morning.

Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35, and Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37

Perez and Wilson-Leon were partners. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Perez was a salesperson at Perfumania, where he found love with Wilson-Leon, one of his customers.

“He laughed with the people and would make jokes,” coworker Claudia Agudelo told the newspaper of Perez. “He was always so happy.”

Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50

According to his Facebook profile, Velazquez worked as a visual merchandiser at Forever 21 and previously studied at InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico. His niece Kendra Santana posted on Facebook, “My heart is in the greatest pain, I feel numb to have lost you, this hurts my soul.”

Amanda Alvear
Amanda Alvear

Amanda Alvear, 25

Alvear’s friends and family became worried after they saw that she posted a series of videos from the nightclub on Snapchat. In one clip, which was later uploaded to Facebook by a pal, Alvear is seen dancing and having fun with her friends. She later posted a video in which gunshots were heard in the background. “I’m heart broken,” her sister wrote on Facebook.

Martin Benitez Torres, 33

Torres was from San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he was a student at Ana G. Méndez University. He posted a Facebook Live video on Saturday afternoon, in which he stated that he had just arrived in Orlando with his family to visit his nephew.

“I am heartbroken that a beloved friend got killed in this tragedy,” friend Arlene J. Cruz Torres wrote on Facebook. “Beautiful soul you definitely will be missed.”

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Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26

Flores was at the club with Alvear, her close friend. According to her Facebook page, she lived in Davenport, Florida, and worked at Target. She previously studied at Valencia College and was originally from Queens, New York.

Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35

Rosado was a dancer who previously worked at Splash Bar in Panama City Beach, Florida. The bar posted a statement on Facebook, writing, “It’s with a heavy heart we must confirm the passing of Eman Valentino (Xavier E. Serrano) after being shot at the Orlando nightclub Pulse by a madman. He was part of Splash’s extended family and leaves a small son behind. He took his time to work with Flagpole, Grant, Vadim and some of the other dancers to improve their moves and was quick with a smile. He most recently appeared as a male entertainer at Splash as well as a go go dancer. Our prayers are with your family, my friend.”

Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25

Menendez was a sales associate at a Speedway gas station. He previously studied health care management at Ana G. Méndez University and was originally from Manati, Puerto Rico, according to his Facebook profile.

Oscar A Aracena-Montero and Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez
Oscar A Aracena-Montero and Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez

Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31, and Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26

Fernandez and Montero were partners who were both killed at the club. According to their friend Norkis Fernandez-Valdez, they recently purchased a home together. “It’s so hard to comprehend that you’re no longer with us,” she wrote of the duo on Facebook. “Just last week we spoke & had plans. I remember the excitement we all felt at the closing of your new home, our dinners there, the arepas you made for me with so much love, our conversations & all the advices we all shared. You both promised me you were going to become Realtors. I’m so heart broken that you guys and so many other friends lost their lifes in such a senseless act. I pray for strength and courage for us all.”

Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25

Rios was from Brooklyn, where he studied social work at St. Francis College and worked at True Care Home Health Care. He was on vacation in Orlando. “My son was a good kid,” his mother, Gertrude Merced, wrote on GoFundMe to raise money to return his body to Brooklyn. “He was just having a great time on his vacation.”

Miguel Angel Honorato, 30

Honorato was from Apopka, Florida, where he worked at FajitaMex Mexican Catering. His brother Enrique Honorato paid tribute to him on Facebook, writing, “R.I.P. Brother Miguel Honorato, man i wouldve never thought this would happen to you… I remember the good old times when we went to mexico and the days we went to tennessee. I cant face the fact that my Blood Brother is gone.”

Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40

Jorge-Reyes worked as a supervisor at Gucci, according to BuzzFeed. He was originally from Guayama, Puerto Rico, where he studied at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón.

Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19

Josaphat, one of the youngest victims, was a student at Southern Technical Institute in Orlando, according to BuzzFeed. He previously attended Skyline High School in Mesa, Arizona.

Cory James Connell, 21

Connell was studying sports journalism and broadcasting at Valencia Community College, according to his Facebook page.

His older brother, Ryan Connell, shared a touching tribute via Facebook, writing, “The superhero of the family! A family man through and through. The world lost an amazing soul, today. God just got the best of angels. … Cory i love you more than words can ever express!”

Luis Daniel Conde and Juan P. Rivera Velazquez
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez and Luis Daniel Conde

Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37, and Luis Daniel Conde, 39

Partners Velazquez and Conde were visiting Orlando from Puerto Rico, according to BuzzFeed. They were celebrating a friend’s birthday at Pulse when they were both killed.

“You will always be together in heaven and in our hearts,” friend Nelia Bauza wrote on Facebook. Rivera’s brother, Baron Serrano, told The New York Times that he waited outside of the hospital for nine hours before officials confirmed his death. “It is very hard to deal with this, and the worse pain is the pain of being here without knowing what happened to him,” he told the newspaper at the time.

Darryl Roman Burt II
Darryl Roman Burt II

Darryl Roman Burt II, 29

Burt had recently earned his degree in human resources management and went to Pulse nightclub to celebrate, according to the Orlando Sentinel. “He loved to dance. He loved to have fun,” close pal Mahogany Avent told the paper. “He was my best friend. I can’t believe he’s gone.”

The Sentinel reported that Burt was an “experienced human resources officer, having worked his way up from managing a McDonald’s restaurant at age 18 to becoming a district manager and training officer for the company’s Jacksonville district.” He later worked as a financial aid officer at Keiser University.

Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32

Drayton was working on turning her life around after “several legal infractions involving drugs,” according to the Orlando Sentinel. She had started going to church and surrounded herself with new friends.

“I know that she didn’t leave this earth doing wrong,” ex-girlfriend Ashleigh Alleyne said. “She was actually putting in effort, because we both hit rock bottom at the same time. She pushed me to get through her issues and I always tried to do the same for her.”

Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25

Laureano Disla was a “very talented” dancer, according to his cousin Ana Figueroa. She told the Orlando Sentinel that he was at Pulse with two of his roommates, who survived and are now in stable condition.

“I want people to remember Anthony as someone who was very happy and very kind,” Figueroa told the paper. “This is just devastating for our family and his friends.”

Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32

Paniagua was a construction worker who recently moved to Tampa from Veracruz, Mexico, the Orlando Sentinel reported. He previously lived in Ocoee, Florida, in the early 2000s.

Shane Evan Tomlinson
Shane Evan Tomlinson

Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33

Tomlinson was the lead singer of a cover band named The Frequency Band. Hours before he was killed at Pulse, Tomlinson performed at the Blue Martini Lounge, the Charlotte Observer reported. He graduated from East Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in communication in 2003.

Juan Chavez Martinez, 25

According to his Facebook page, Chavez Martinez worked as a housekeeping supervisor at Reunion Resorts in Kissimmee, Florida. He was originally from Huichapan, Mexico.

Jerald Arthur Wright, 31

Wright worked as a seasonal employee at Walt Disney World. “He was one of the kindest people you could ever meet,” former coworker Kenneth Berrios told the Orlando Sentinel. “We had students from the London program … and Jerry was always willing to give rides to them and show them around.”

Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25

Fernandez was always singing Adele, Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez hits while working as a leasing agent at Auvers Village Apartments in Orlando. His manager, Yolanda Quinones-Perez, told the Orlando Sentinel, “It just feels very quiet now.”

Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25

Crosby’s high school English teacher, Jacqueline Scott, told the Charlotte Observer that he always showed “integrity and determination.” He also played on the school’s basketball team. “I remember his smile, his love of life … . I want people to know the laughter and the joy he spread,” Scott told the newspaper.

Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega
Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega

Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24

Vega worked for a Spanish TV network, where he was a producer for a show called La Voz Kids, a talent competition similar to The Voice. According to the Orlando Sentinel, he was a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in Puerto Rico before he moved to Florida.

Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez, 27

A month and a half before his tragic death, Nieves Rodriguez, who was a general manager at a check-cashing store, purchased his first house. “He was just a caring, loving guy — just like a big teddy bear,” one of his best friends, Ivonne Irizarry, told the Orlando Sentinel.

Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33

Ayala-Ayala was a biologics assistant at the OneBlood donation center and was all about “doing things the right way,” his friend Johnny Rivera Muñiz told the Orlando Sentinel. Hours after the Pulse shooting, hundreds of donors lined up at the blood bank where Ayala-Ayala worked to donate blood to the survivors.

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49

McCool went to Pulse with her 21-year-old son, Isaiah Henderson. He survived, but she did not. McCool was a mother of 11 children who beat cancer twice.

“She was always really cool but really a mom at the end of the day,” daughter Khalisha Pressley told NBC News.

Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32

Leinonen’s mother, Christine, made headlines after her emotional on-camera interview with ABC NewsGeorge Stephanopoulos went viral moments after the shooting. She begged for answers when her son’s boyfriend, Brandon, was transported to the hospital by ambulance, but she “never saw Christopher [come] out.” His name was later released by officials as one of the fatalities.

Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28

Candelario-Padro described himself on Facebook as an “adventurous, easy going but responsible man that would like to live the life completely.” He had recently started a new job at Florida Retina Institute as an ophthalmic technician, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Paul Terrell Henry, 41

Henry was a father of two, whose daughter, Alexia, recently graduated high school, according to the Orlando Sentinel. “His priority was to make sure his kids were taken care of,” boyfriend Francisco Hernandez told the newspaper.

Antonio Davon Brown
Antonio Davon Brown

Antonio Davon Brown, 29

Brown was a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve, according to Military.com. He was a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps while studying at Florida A&M University.

Akyra Monet Murray, 18

Murray was on the phone with her mother while hiding in a bathroom stall during the shooting. She had recently graduated from West Catholic Preparatory High School in Philadelphia and was celebrating with her family in Orlando, according to WSVN 7 News.

Murray as an honors student who graduated third in her class. She was set to attend Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania, on a full basketball scholarship.

Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21

Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24

Frank Hernandez, 27

Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24

Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25

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