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A survivor of the Orlando nightclub massacre told how gunman Omar Mateen spared black people "because they had suffered enough".

Patience Carter, 20, was partying with two of her friends when the killer stormed in, opened fire and killed 49 people.

Patience survived the horrific attack but was hospitalised after being shot - her friend, 18-year-old Akyra Murray, wasn't so lucky.

The survivor told how she, Akyra and her cousin Tiara Parker were taken hostage in the bathroom of the club as the mass murderer rampaged through the club.

(Image: Getty) (Image: Getty)

He shot at them through the door of a disabled toilet as they hid with others, reported Mail Online.

At one point, he asked them if any of the hostages were black.

Patience, who is African-American, told a press conference at Florida Hospital Orlando she was too scared to respond.

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But when a black person also in the stall told him they were, as Mateen said he would spare them because they'd suffered already.

Mateen reportedly said: "I don't have a problem with black people.

"This is about my country. You guys suffered enough."

(Image: Getty)

Patience and her friends had been enjoying a girls' night out while she was on holiday with their family.

When she first heard the shots, she said she thought it was sound effects played to get people to leave the club.

(Image: Reuters)

But when she realised it was real, she dropped to the floor and crawled back to the exit as Akyra followed.

They realised that Tiara was still inside and went to get her, which is when they were taken hostage for three hours.

(Image: Getty)

Akyra was shot and died from blood loss before paramedics could reach her.

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Patience said today how she feels survivors' guilt over going back into the club with Akyra, instead of telling her to stay outside.

She said: "It was a shock. We went from having the time of our lives to the worst night of our lives all within a matter of minutes."

Mateen stormed into the nightclub after his father claimed he was angered by seeing two men kissing in Miami months before.

(Image: Reuters)

It has now been claimed that gunman Mateen visited the LGBT nightclub on several occasions and also used a gay dating app.

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A regular Pulse club-goer said the gunman had been messaging him on and off for a year on gay dating app Jack’d.

Kevin West told the Orlando Sentinel that he recognised Omar Mateen when he saw him outside the club around an hour before the shooting took place.

"He walked directly past me. I said, ‘Hey,’ and he turned and said, ‘Hey,’” West explained.