FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Croton Falls, NY) The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus issued this statement marking five years since the horrific Pulse Nightclub Massacre that took place on June 12, 2016.
“June is Pride month and The Campaign stands in solidarity with all members of the LGBTQ+ community. Unfortunately, June is also known for an unspeakable crime that targeted members of the Orlando LGBTQ+ and Latinx community, where a hateful lone gunman using military-style assault weapons murdered 49 innocent people and injured another 53. Our hearts continue to be broken for the friends and loved ones of the victims and survivors, whose lives have been forever changed by this tragedy.
Oftentimes, as the years move on, the names and faces of those killed in massacres, like Pulse, can fade. As we reflect on the five-year remembrance, we want to remind folks of the names of the people killed on June 12, 2016, and our pledge to continue honoring them with action in Florida and nationwide:
Amanda Lizzette Alvear
Oscar A. Aracena Montero
Rodolfo Ayala Ayala
Antonio “Tony” Brown
Darryl Roman Burt II
Angel Candelario-Padro
Juan Chavez Martinez
Luis D. Conde
Cory James Connell
Tevin Eugene Crosby
Deonka “Dee Dee” Drayton
Simón Adrian Carrillo Fernández
Leroy Valentin Fernandez
Mercedez Marisol Flores
Peter Ommy Gonzalez Cruz
Juan Ramon Guerrero
Paul Terrell Henry
Frank Hernandez
Miguel Angel Honorato
Javier Jorge Reyes
Jason Benjamin Josaphat
Eddie Jamal Droy Justice
Anthony Luis Laureano Disla
Christopher Andrew Leinonen
Alejandro Barrios Martinez
Brenda Marquez McCool
Gilberto R. Silva Menendez
Kimberly Jean Morris
Akyra Monet Murray
Luis Omar Ocasio Capo
Gerardo A. Ortiz Jimenez
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera
Joel Rayon Paniagua
Jean C. Mendez Perez
Enrique L. Rios Jr.
Jean Carlos Nieves Rodríguez
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado
Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz
Yilmary Rodríguez Solivan
Eddie Sotomayor Jr.
Shane Evan Tomlinson
Martin Benitez Torres
Jonathan A. Camuy Vega
Juan Pablo Rivera Velázquez
Luis Sergio Vielma
Franky Jimmy DeJesus Velázquez
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon
Jerry Wright
The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus worked with a number of Florida-based organizations, including the Equality Florida, League of Women Voters of Florida, and Florida PTA (among others) to form the Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence. The day after the Pulse shooting, we called on the former Governor and leaders of the Legislature to hold a special session to address senseless gun violence like the Pulse shooting. For the last five years, bills to ban weapons of war and strengthen background checks, led by sponsors Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith and Senator Gary Farmer, still have not received a hearing.
Nevertheless, we continue to honor those lives lost at Pulse with our unwavering commitment to fight against hate and fight for strong gun laws that will help to protect all of Florida’s communities from gun violence.”
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About The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus
The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus works with colleges and universities across the country to oppose legislative policies that would force loaded, concealed guns on campuses. Since 2008, The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus has helped stop campus carry legislation in 18 states and is the only national organization of its kind tasked to protect higher educational institutions and the communities they serve. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Contact: Andy Pelosi, Executive Director, [email protected] (914-629-6726)
