SURVIVORS OF THE biggest mass shooting in US history have spoken out about the horror of the attack.
The shooting at gay nightclub Pulse in Florida saw 50 people killed (including perpetrator Omar Mateen) and 53 others injured.
Addressing the world’s media at a press conference in the Orlando Regional Medical Centre earlier today, survivor Angel Colon described the scene in the club just before the shooting began.
“We were saying our goodbyes, I’m hugging everyone, it was a great night. No drama, just smiles, just laughter. The last girl I was talking to and then out of nowhere we just hear a big shock,” he said.
That happened and we just grabbed each other and we started running. Unfortunately I was shot about three times in my leg, so I had fallen down.
I tried to get back up but everyone started running everywhere. I got trampled over and I shattered and broke the bones in my left leg.
He explained that after that shooter Omar Mateen continued into another room of the nightclub and continued his killing spree, leading Colon to think that he may have escaped.
He described his horror as the shooter then returned to the room where he was lying on the ground and began shooting people on the floor to ensure they were dead.
I could hear the shotgun closer and I look over and he shoots the girl next to me.
I’m just there lying down and I’m thinking ‘I’m next, I’m dead’.
“I don’t know how,” Colon continued, “but by the glory of God he shoots toward my head and it hits my hand.
“Then he shoots me again and it hits the side of my hip. I had no reaction, I was just prepared to just stay there, lying down so that he won’t know that I’m alive.”
Also speaking at today’s press conference were a number of medical staff that were in the nightclub after the incident happened and those that attended to the victims in the hospital afterwards.
Patience Carter, another victim of the shooting, spoke separately to media about the attack.
Speaking to Fox 29, she said: “The guilt of being alive is heavy”.
She said that when the shooting started at 2am, she initially thought it might have been the nightclub attempting to make patrons leave.
“The fear inside of me made me drop to the floor anyways,” she explained.
After initially making it outside, she she went back into the nightclub to try and save a friend of hers.
After becoming trapped in the bathroom, she was eventually rescued having suffered bullet wounds to both her legs.
“I’m still here,” she said, concluding the interview.
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