
These are the victims of the worst mass shooting in American history.

Terrorist Omar Mateen shot dead 49 people and wounded at least 53 more during the massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in the early hours of Sunday morning – and called 911 just before the attack to pledge allegiance to ISIS.

Mateen, of Port St. Lucie in Florida, reportedly laughed as he sprayed bullets into the crowded club before he was shot dead by a SWAT team several hours after launching his horrific massacre with a legally bought assault rifle and pistol.

He told the 911 dispatcher he was inspired by ISIS.

However, other parts of the phone call suggest his motives were confused. The 29-year-old also pledged allegiance to the Boston Marathon bombers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev - who were not inspired by ISIS - and to the Florida-born suicide bomber Moner Mohammad Abu-Salha who killed himself for the Al-Nusra Front, a group in conflict with ISIS.

As the FBI attempts to make sense of the devastating attack, rescue teams have been working to name the innocent people who lost their lives.

All 49 victims have now been officially identified by the city of Orlando on its website.

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Edward Sotomayor Jr. (left) and Stanley Almodovar III (right) were the first victims identified in the aftermath of the mass shooting

Shortly after making the 911 call, Mateen entered the crowded nightclub at around 2am carrying an AR-15 and started spraying the helpless crowd with bullets.

Witnesses said he fired relentlessly - 20 rounds, 40, then 50 and more. In such tight quarters, the bullets could hardly miss. He shot at police. He took hostages. Around 5am, authorities sent in a SWAT team to rescue them, Police Chief John Mina said.

The shooter exchanged gunfire with 14 police officers at the club, which had more than 300 people inside.

'He had an automatic rifle, so nobody stood a chance,' said Jackie Smith, who had two friends next to her get shot. 'I just tried to get out of there.'

When the gunfire finally stopped, 49 were dead and dozens critically wounded. Thirty-nine of the dead were killed at the club, and 11 people died at hospitals, the mayor said.

VICTIMS: ALL 49 IDENTIFIED On Sunday, Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34; Stanley Almodovar III, 23; Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20; Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22; Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36; Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22; Luis S. Vielma, 22 and Kimberly Morris, 37, were confirmed dead. In the early hours of Monday morning, Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30; Darryl Roman Burt II, 29, Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32; Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21; Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25; Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35; and Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50, were added to the list. Later on Monday morning the authorities announced more names: Amanda Alvear, 25; Martin Benitez Torres, 33; Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37; Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26; Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35; Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25; Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31; Oscar Aracena-Montero, 26; Enrique L. Rios, Jr, 25; Miguel Angel Honorato, 30; Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40; Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32; Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19; Cory James Connell, 21; Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37; Luis Daniel Conde, 39; Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33; Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25; Jerald Arthur Wright, 31; Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25; and Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25. In the afternoon, authorities identified another nine victims: Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24; Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27; Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33; Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49; Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24; Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32; Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28; Frank Hernandez, 27; Paul Terrell Henry, 41; Antonio Davon Brown, 29; Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24; and Akyra Monet Murray, 18. On Monday evening, the final name was added to the list: Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25. Advertisement

EDWARD SOTOMAYOR JR, 34

On Sunday, the first of the victims named was Edward Sotomayor (pictured above), who worked as the national brand manager for ALandChuck Travel, a company that specialized in vacations for the gay community.

His boss, Al Ferguson, said Sotomayor's partner was outside the nightclub putting something in the car when the shots rang out.

He got a text from Sotomayor telling him he was safe in the bathroom and not to come back into the club. Sotomayor texted again 20 minutes later to say he was OK. That was the last his partner heard from him, Ferguson said.

Sotomayor was a legend in the industry, Ferguson added. He booked tours for entertainer and drag queen RuPaul and put together the first gay cruise to Cuba last year. He was going to announce a second trip on Sunday, but was killed.

'Anyone who booked gay cruises knew Sotomayor,' Ferguson told Reuters. 'He was a great man.'

In an Instagram post published on Sunday, RuPaul's Drag Race judge Michelle Visage called Sotomayor 'a joy.'

'I loved you on so many levels. You were SO SO special and will never be forgotten,' she wrote. 'I promise you that.'

David Sotomayor, who lives in Chicago and identified himself as the victim's cousin, described him as a caring, energetic man known for wearing a silly top hat on cruises.

He told the AP that Edward worked for a company that held gay cruises and often traveled to promote the company's events. 'He was just always part of the fun,' he said.

The pair discovered they were related after meeting at Orlando's annual Gay Days festival around a decade ago. They texted regularly and kept in touch, last seeing each other earlier this year at a filming of the television reality show 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' David said.

David Sotomayor is a drag queen who appeared on a season of the show using the name 'Jade.'

He said Edward Sotomayor supported him and often sent him Facebook messages. They last exchanged messages last week.

'You never think that's going to be the last time you speak to him,' David Sotomayor said. 'It's just heartbreaking to know it just can happen anytime.'

STANLEY ALMODOVAR III, 23

Neighbors of Almodovar (pictured above), a 23-year-old pharmacy technician, said his parents had recently moved back to Puerto Rico after his mother became ill with cancer, Reuters reported. He was the youngest in the family.

But his mother Rosalie Ramos, 51, had been in Orlando at the time of the shooting and paid tribute to her son, calling him a 'happy man with a big heart.'

She had prepared a tomato-and-cheese dip for him to eat when he came home from his night out and gone to bed.

She was awakened by a call at 2am telling her something had happened.

Ramos revealed her panic after receiving a call that informed her that her son had been shot. 'I was hoping maybe [he was shot in] the hand or the leg,' she told the Orlando Sentinel. 'You can survive [a gunshot to] the leg.'

But Almodovar was shot three times, in the chest, stomach and side of his body. He died at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

She added that her son had 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.

A friend, Hazel Ramirez, told the Washington Post she also saw the video from Almodovar on Snapchat and learned on Sunday afternoon what had happened.

Ramirez described Almodovar as 'kind, but sassy,' and someone who was comfortable with his own sexual identity.

'He was so proud of who he was,' she told the Post. 'He would do his makeup better than anyone else. It was so easy to be myself with him.

Sabiel Rivera, 30, who is a neighbor of Almodovar in Clermont, Florida, told Daily Mail Online that he 'was a cool guy, who was very humble and never got into any trouble.'

It is believed he shared a top floor apartment with his mother.

Originally from Springfield, Massachusetts, he was living in Clermont, according to his Facebook page, which has been flooded by friends paying tribute in the aftermath of the tragedy.

'Rest in peace my friend, wrote Brian Garcia. 'You were always so full of joy Stanley, we will miss you buddy.'

Mark Nielson added: 'We'll miss you Stanley. You made an impact on everyone that you came around. A good person and friend.'

He graduated from East Ridge High School in Clermont in 2011 before studying at Anthem College, his family said.

JUAN RAMON GUERRERO, 22, and CHRISTOPHER LEINONEN, 32

Boyfriends Juan Ramon Guerrero and Christopher Leinonen died alongside each other in the massacre.

Guerrero was described by friends as a 'beautiful soul'. He worked as a telemarketer and was a student at the University of Central Florida.

The 22-year-old came out to his family for the first time this year when he started dating his boyfriend 32-year-old Christopher Leinonen, who was also killed in the massacre (see section below).

According to his cousin Robert, Guerrero was so concerned about how his family would react to his sexuality that he only came out to his parents at the beginning of this year.

When he did, they were 'very accepting,' the 19-year-old said. 'As long as he was happy, they were OK with it.'

He was in a relationship with someone that his relatives came to see as a member of the family, he said.

Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22, was described by friends as a beautiful soul. He came out to his family this year and had a happy relationship with boyfriend Christopher Leinonen, who was also killed. Pictured: left and right in the blue t-shirt next to Leinonen

Juan Guerrero (left), who has been named as one of the 49 people to have lost their lives, is pictured with his boyfriend Christopher Leinonen (right)

Robert said he began to worry about his cousin when he heard about the shooting at a club he knew Guerrero sometimes visited. Later in the day, his worst fears were realized.

'He was always this amazing person and he was like a big brother to me,' he said. 'He was never the type to go out to parties, would rather stay home and care for his niece and nephew.'

Friends and family have paid to Guerrero on his Instagram page, calling him a 'beautiful soul.'

'So unfair what happened to you. RIP. I hope the light will rule out all darkness,' said one comment.

Christopher Leinonen, 32, was identified among the dead late on Monday afternoon, long after Juan. Before his name appeared on the list, his mother Christine was one of the many relatives who was waiting desperately for news.

She drove to Orlando at 4am after learning of the shooting from a friend of her son who was at Pulse and was missing.

She had not heard from her son and feared the worst. 'These are nonsensical killings of our children,' she said, sobbing. 'They're killing our babies!'

Speaking outside the center on Sunday morning, Leinonen sobbed as she told ABC News that she had been waiting hours for information on her son.

'I haven't heard anything,' she said. 'I have been waiting. I have been waiting by the emergency room, see if anybody gets called in.

'They said there's a lot of dead bodies at the club and that's a crime scene and they can't identify anybody so it could be hours and hours before we find out.

'The hospital said there are some bodies at the hospital that came in and they died. They are not identifiable yet either. And that there a few who are in a critical conditions who aren't identified yet.'

She said her son's friend Brandon Wolf survived by hiding in a bathroom and running out as the bullets flew.

Christine Leinonen (pictured with her son Christopher Leinonen) drove to Orlando at 4am after learning of the shooting from a friend of her son, who was at Pulse

Christine Leinonen pictured outside the club before her son was found and identified as one of the dead

LUIS OMAR OCASIO-CAPO, 20

The 20-year-old dancer was working at Starbucks inside a Kissimmee Target store while studying theater, and would have auditioned on Tuesday for a play, said his sister, Belinette Ocasio-Capo.

'He was one of the most amazing dancers,' she said. 'He would always call me and say, 'I'm going to be the next Hollywood star.' He really did want to make it and be known.

'Now his name ended up being all around the world, like he wanted — just not this way.'

Friends and family paid tribute to Capo on Facebook, who they referred to as 'Omar'.

His aunt Carla Ocasio called him her 'dear nephew' and shared a photo of the 20-year-old that said 'dance freely in the heavens.'

Another family member Robert said: 'God bless us all and give us strength in our time of need. Lord guide us with your light so we don't live in fear of the darkness evil brings.'

Claudia Mason, 70, said that she worked with Capo in Kissimmee.

'He lit up any area he worked in, especially Starbucks,' she wrote. 'So sad that his life was cut so short by such an evil person.'

Ocasio-Capo was hired as a cashier before moving over to the Starbucks, and became a great barista, Mason said.

'Omar got along with everyone. Young, old, male, female, gay, or straight, it didn't matter to Omar,' she said.

ERIC ORTIZ-RIVERA, 36

Ortiz-Rivera was a 'goofball' who loved to dance and had been married to his husband for around a year, his cousin Orlando Gonazalez, 26, told the New York Times.

Ortiz-Rivera, who was originally from Dorado, Puerto Rico, studied at the Univercidad Central de Bayamon there, his Facebook page said.

Before his death, Ortiz-Rivera, who was nicknamed Shaki, lived in downtown Orlando with his husband and worked at a Party City and a Sunglass Hut.

But he had other interests, Gonzalez said, describing his late cousin as 'artistic' and a talented hairdresser.

'We always went to clubs together,' Gonzalez said, adding that Ortiz-River liked house music, or 'anything he could dance to, pretty much.'

'His husband called me in the morning,' Gonzalez told The Times. 'He was hysterical trying to find him.'

A friend paid tribute to him on Facebook, writing: 'I have no words to describe this great friend and human being, and above all, my brother. Everyone who knows us knows what a great friendship we shared and what a great man he was. I adore you. You'll always be in my heart. How empty you've left us.'

Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo (left) and Eric Ortiz-Rivera (right) also died in the shooting at Pulse nightclub, authorities have said

BRENDA LEE MARQUEZ MCCOOL, 49

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49, was a regular at Pulse's Latin night with her 21-year-old son Isaiah Henderson.

On Saturday they were dancing in the club when gunfire erupted.

They tried to take cover as gunman Omar Mateen showered bullets through the venue.

But eventually Mateen turned his gun to Brenda and Isaiah - and Brenda acted as a human shield to protect Isaiah, who is gay.

In the commotion Isaiah lost sight of his mother, and was promptly pulled to safety by police.

Outside the club he scrambled to find Brenda.

On Monday he was informed she was one of the 49 people Mateen murdered.

He wrote on Facebook: 'Just laying here thinking that I was just with my mom 24 hours ago, this is so surreal. I love you mom.'

According to his sister Khalisha Pressley, Isaiah has been crippled with a feeling of guilt.

'He had to watch his mother die. He saw everybody getting killed,' Khalisa told NBC News. 'He feels it was his fault.'

Brenda was born in Brooklyn, New York, where she spent most of her life. She later moved to California for about 15 years. Eight years ago she was told she would not survive her cancer. But she did. She then relocated to Orlando to be near her younger children.

In Orlando, she regularly went dancing, and loved salsa.

She normally returned to New York for Puerto Rico Pride Day. But this year she decided to stay at home with family.

Shortly after midnight on Saturday, she posted a video on Facebook of her two friends dancing Salsa in Pulse.

That was the last her friends heard from her.

Her fifth-eldest son Farrell Marshall created a GoFundMe page to support his younger brothers and sisters in the wake of the tragedy.

Farrell wrote on the GoFundMe page: 'We have conformation that this wonderful and caring woman known as a mother of 11 children left behind from fighting 2 types of cancer and now to be taken off this earth from what we call 'Insanity.'

'She just went out last night and said goodbye to her children and to be called 3 hours later that she has been hit by 2 gunshots and later pronounced dead.'

By Monday afternoon, well-wishers had donated almost $5,000. By Tuesday morning that figure was up to more than $17,000.

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49, had survived two types of cancer. Mother to 11 children, she had a boyfriend and was out with friends at the Latin night on Saturday when she became a victim of the massacre

EDDIE JUSTICE, 30

Justice, a 30-year-old accountant, lived in downtown Orlando.

He texted his mother from inside Pulse when the massacre began.

'Mommy I love you,' he wrote at 2.06am. She texted back: 'u ok'. He said, 'Trapp in bathroom' then adding 'In club they shooting'. He said he was going to die, and asked her to call 911.

In his last text he said the shooter was in the bathroom with him and that he was a terrorist.

Justice's friends have described him as a friendly, vibrant person who loved his mother.

'He'd give you the shirt off his back. He always brought the life to the party,' his cousin Jeff told the Palm Beach Post.

A friend created a GoFundMe page to support his family, and wrote: 'Eddie loved his mother and was a momma's boy at heart. His mom is his best friend.'

Eddie Justice (pictured) an accountant who lived in downtown Orlando, was named as one of the victims early on Monday morning

On Sunday, Mina Justice (left) was outside the club trying to contact her son, Eddie, who texted her (right) when the shooting happened and asked her to call police. He was later confirmed dead

ANTHONY LAUREANO DISLA, 25

Laureano Disla was born in Puerto Rico.

He studied elementary education at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan.

After graduating in 2010 he moved to Orlando where he started performing as the drag act Alanis Laurell.

Videos online show Alanis performing Latin-style acts, such a Spanish-language version of Toni Braxton's Un-Break My Heart.

Laureano Disla was at Pulse's Latin night on Saturday with his cousin.

In a tribute posted online on Monday, Drag Around The World said Laureano was 'an amazing performer and a beautiful person inside and out.'

'She will be missed deeply. You are now a angel looking down at all of us,' the statement read.

Tragic: Anthony Laureano Disla (pictured), 25, was gunned down. He performed as a fiery Latina drag queen called Alanis Laurell (right)

XAVIER EMMANUEL SERRANO ROSADO, 35, and LEROY FERNANDEZ, 25

Rosado, father to one five-year-old, was at Pulse with his partner Fernandez, who also died in the shooting.

He was a professional dancer for Disney and Universal. Salsa was his specialism, and he went by the stage name 'Eman'. Fernadez worked leasing apartments. His colleagues said he sang Adele in the office 'until they couldn't take it anymore.'

In a tribute posted to his Facebook wall, a friend of Rosado's wrote: 'You have brought so much laughter and light into this world not only through your performance but through that gracious smile.

'I can't believe you are gone, and gone too soon.

'You will remain living in the memories of all the people who have been lucky enough to have met you and those special memories will always bring a smile. May your beautiful soul rest in peace. Heaven has welcomed another angel, and I'm sure you will continue to dance with the angels above pappi.'

His co-star in Disney Live!'s Mickey's Rockin Road Show, Brendan, shared pictures of Eman looking 'goofy' on Facebook, and wrote: 'Xavier was not only a friend, but also a brother to me. He always had such a fun laugh and big smile.

'I hope these pictures show off his goofiness, warmth, and individuality because that's what he was all about.....making people happy.'

Yolanda Quiñones, a friend of Fernandez, wrote on Facebook: 'We are extremely devastated to say that our friend, Leroy Valentin and his partner Xavier Serrano have passed away in the senseless shooting in Orlando yesterday morning.'

Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, father to one five-year-old, was at Pulse with his partner Leroy Fernandez (pictured). Both were killed

SHANE EVAN TOMLINSON, 33

Tomlinson was a gifted singer who performed with the cover band Frequency Saturday.

Hailing from North Carolina, he graduated from East Carolina University in Greenville with a degree in communications.

The 33-year-old regularly performed at Orlando's Blue Martini club, as well as private events.

He was due to perform three shows at Blue Martini this month.

Shane Tomlinson was a gifted singer who performed with the cover band Frequency Saturday. The 33-year-old (pictured left and right) regularly performed at Orlando's Blue Martini club, as well as private events. He was due to perform three shows at Blue Martini this month

Tim Christofore consoles his four-year-old son Jude while visiting a makeshift memorial for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting outside of the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center on Monday. He was paying respects to their friend Shane Tomlinson

MARTIN BENITEZ TORRES, 33

Martin Benitez Torres (pictured below) was a 33-year-old college student who lived in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

He arrived in Orlando days before his death to visit relatives.

His Florida-based cousin Sonia Crapps wrote a tribute on Facebook: 'Going to miss that big smile always happy ... I can't believe that my cousin is gone too soon. He was amazing person inside & outside. I am so tired of people killing other people like our family & friends.'

KIMBERLY MORRIS, 37

Morris (pictured below), from Torrington, Connecticut, moved to Orlando just months ago and had taken a job at Pulse nightclub as a bouncer, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

'She was so excited,' her 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,' Shelton said.

Friends described Morris, who was known as 'KJ', 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.

'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.'

Morris had previously lived in Massachusetts before moving to Orlando, had been working as a bouncer at Pulse on the night of the shooting.

Before she was confirmed dead, Nelson Roman, an LGBT leader in Holyoke, Massachusetts, told Western Mass News: 'She used to perform out here, was a bouncer who was working last night, and we still have no info on her.'

Friends and family took to Morris' Facebook page, urging her to contact them before receiving the news.

'Unfortunately I just received news that Kim did not make it,' Patrick Tyning wrote. 'R.I.P. Kim , I haven't seen you in a couple of years but had the pleasure of working with you and we had some great times. You were taken way too soon.'

'I'm broken,' added Ana DeJesus Decker. 'What a wonderful person I had the pleasure of knowing in my younger years. Loved her like a little sister.'

Martin Benitez Torres (left) was a 33-year-old college student who lived in San Juan. He came to visit family in Florida. Kimberly Morris (right) was also named as victims

LUIS VIELMA, 22

Vielma was a beloved member of the team at Universal Studios.

High school friend Eddi Anderson told the Tampa Bay Times that Vielma loved his job at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and 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.'

Vielma 'just wanted to make people smile,' another co-worker, Olga Glomba, said.

He was a student at Seminole State College of Florida and worked at Universal Orlando as a production assistant on the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride, according to his Facebook page.

J.K. Rowling tweeted a tribute, writing: 'Luis Vielma worked on the Harry Potter ride at Universal. He was 22 years old. I can't stop crying. #Orlando'

'Can't believe Luis Vielma is really gone,' wrote Jaime Bustos on Facebook. 'RIP my friend. Your memories, jokes, laughter, and personality well never be forgotten. Always meant to catch up with you but... it seems that moment has passed.'

Theresa Perpetua Rivera, of Deltona, Florida, said she knew Vielma through through her church's youth group ministry.

'My heart is so saddened by all the hate and horrible violence that has been going on in the world and now right here in our own backyard,' she wrote on Facebook. 'Today we lost an amazing young man who had the heart and the spirit of an Angel. He was such a blessing to those who knew him.'

J.K. Rowling tweeted a tribute to Luis Vielma, writing: 'Luis Vielma worked on the Harry Potter ride at Universal. He was 22 years old. I can't stop crying. #Orlando'

AMANDA ALVEAR, 25 and MERCEDEZ FLORES, 26

Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26, was originally from Queens in New York.

According to her Facebook she worked at Target and was studying at Valencia Community College. Eventually, she wanted to be a party planner.

'She was very outgoing,' Nancy Flores said of Mercedez. 'She had lots of friends. They used to always meet up at Pulse.'

She died alongside her friend Amanda Alvear, 25, with whom she went clubbing on Saturday.

Relatives said Amanda was a vibrant party queen who loved to hang out with her nieces and go out with her friends.

She was working as a pharmacy technician, with plans to become a nurse as she trained at the University of South Florida.

In the last year she posted a stream of social media profiles showing a new joie-de-vivre and health kick. She lost a lot of weight and posted a poignant picture online last month saying: 'Better things are coming.'

Her brother Brian told the Orlando Sentinel she had spent the days before her death hanging out with his daughters Bella, 12, and eight-year-old Zatanna.

'She was a fashionista. She liked to look good and she wanted my girls – her girls - to look good,' he said. 'She liked to make them look very good.'

He added that she wouldn't want hate to be spread in her name and that she always made sure to tell her family and friends where she was.

She went out on Saturday with her friends, including Mercedez. Alvear posted a series of joyous videos showing her friends dancing on Snapchat - but the last video shows how the night turned into horror.

Her face can be seen close-up as gunshots are heard in the background. The last her brother heard, Amanda was hiding in the bathroom with Mercedez.

Mercedez Flores, 26, (left) and Amanda Alvear, 25, who were best friends, were together at Pulse nightclub when they were gunned down

LUIS DANIEL WILSON-LEON, 37, and JEAN CARLOS MENDEZ PEREZ, 35

Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37, and long-term partner Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35, met at the counter in Perfumania.

Perez, who was born in Puerto Rico, 'was always happy,' according to his co-worker Claudia Agudelo in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel.

'He laughed with the people and would make jokes,' Agudelo said.

According to the article, Perez moved to Orlando as a teenager.

In 2006, he was working at a perfume counter and served Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon.

They bonded over the scent (Declaration by Cartier) then later saw each other at a club. They started dating and were together ever since.

Wilson-Leon also grew up in Puerto Rico and moved to the US before he could speak barely any English, a friend told the Sentinel.

Daniel Gmys-Casiano, Wilson-Leon's friend, told the Sentinel: 'He's been dealing with hate all his life. We all have. I have. He never retaliated with hate. He was a very loving person. He was strong. He would stand to protect his friends.'

Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 (left) and long-term partner Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35, were shot dead in Orlando's Pulse nightclub

DEONKA DRAYTON, 32

Drayton worked at Pulse.

Her aunt posted a tribute on Facebook.

It read: 'While keeping the others in Orlando in prayer, keep my brother, his wife and both our families in your prayers.

'My neice, Deonka 'Dee Dee' Drayton was killed in this horrible tragedy. Senseless. She was at work !!!

'R.I.P Dee Dee. You know this Auntie will miss you.'

FRANKY JIMMY DEJESUS VELAZQUEZ, 50

Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50, was a professional Jibaro dancer who traveled globally performing.

He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he attended university.

After moving to Orlando, he worked as a visual merchandiser at Target.

Deonka Drayton, 32, (left) worked at Pulse. Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50, (right) was a professional Jibaro dancer

GILBERTO RAMON SILVA MENENDEZ, 25, and PETER OMMY GONZALEZ-CRUZ, 22

Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25, (pictured below) was born in Puerto Rico.

He was studying health care management at the Orlando branch of Puerto Rico's Ana G Mendez University.

His cousin Maribel Silva wrote on Facebook: 'This is news you just don't want to wake up to, but it has been confirmed that our cousin was victim of this shooting.

'Near or far, we are blood and loss like this is difficult to swallow. Love and prayers to you all.'

He went to the club with his best friend, 22-year-old Peter Ommy Gonzalez-Cruz, who was also killed.

Gonzalez-Cruz (pictured below) worked at UPS and lived in Orlando, Florida, according to his Facebook page.

Friends and family mourned his death online, with one friend writing: 'A great person with a beautiful smile. I will always remember you, friend.'

In a Facebook post, his mother thanked everyone for their condolences.

'I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love that you have shown me regarding my son,' she wrote. 'I will keep you informed. As a mother, I feel a deep and immense pain as everyone else who's going through this.'

'Peter makes a difference everywhere he goes. He was a happy person. If Peter is not at the party, no one wants to go,' his aunt, Sonia Cruz, said.

Gonzalez-Cruz went to Pulse on Saturday night with his best friend, 25-year-old Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez. After news of the mass shooting emerged, Cruz said she held out hope for hours that her nephew would turn up in a hospital bed.

But late Sunday afternoon, she was told he was among those killed at the club.

Cruz said she had her nephew's car keys and was hoping to collect his car Sunday evening. It was parked at a Wendy's across the street from Pulse, one of many with yellow police caution tape tucked under the windshield wipers, vehicles left behind by victims of the shooting.

Cruz said her nephew worked at UPS.

Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez (left) and Peter Ommy Gonzalez-Cruz (right) were best friends. They died at the club together

AKYRA MURRAY, 18

Akyra Murray of Philadelphia was in Orlando with her family, celebrating her graduation from West Catholic Preparatory High School.

Her mother Natalie Murray says Akyra sent a text message at 2am on Sunday, pleading for her parents to pick her up from the nightclub because there had been a shooting.

Moments later, Akyra called her mother screaming, saying she was losing a lot of blood.

The 18-year-old was an honors student who graduated third in her class last week.

She was headed to Mercyhurst College in Erie on a full basketball scholarship.

Philadelphia-based Akyra Murray, 18, was out in Orlando celebrating graduating high school. She was about to start at Mercyhurst College in Erie on a full basketball scholarship

DARRYL ROMAN BURT II

Just hours before his death, Darryl Roman Burt II, 29, graduated from the Keller Graduate School of Management with a Master's degree in human resources management.

Having worked as a district manager and store manager for McDonald's and Forever 21, he spent his studies acting as a financial aid officers for service men and women at Jacksonville's Keiser University campus.

Jacksonville campus president Lisamarie Winslow paid tribute to Burt.

'We are very saddened to be dealing with this loss,' Winslow said.

'He was one of our family members and team members and he was very respected as an employee and a friend.'

'He always had a smile on his face and was a very nice guy.

'He definitely leaves an impression and had a big personality and he is missed,' Winslow said, sadness in her voice. 'We are trying to navigate this. There is no plan for this.'

Just hours before his death, Darryl Roman Burt II, 29, graduated from the Keller Graduate School of Management with a Master's degree in human resources management. He is pictured left and far left

MIGUEL ANGEL HONORATO, 30

A father of three, among them a one- and two-year-old, 30-year-old Miguel Honorato managed four restaurants in central Florida along with a catering business on the side and was always the one to drop everything to help out his family, which included seven siblings.

'He was my mentor and my supporter. He helped very much in my parent's house and work,' his brother Jose Honorato said.

Even though Miguel was younger he was the one who gave sage advice about the family business, his brother said.

Jose Honorato changed his Facebook photo Monday to one of the two brothers smiling over a charcoal grill, one of many happy memories cooking together.

Father-of-three Miguel Angel Honorato (pictured left and right) was a skilled business manager

JONATHAN CAMUY, 25, and YILMARY RODRIGUEZ SOLIVAN, 24

Jonathan Camuy, 25, went to Pulse with Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, a mother-of-two, and her brother-in-law, William Sabad Borges.

After the attack, Borges wrote on Facebook that he had been shot twice, but his injuries were not life-threatening, and Camuy died a hero because his body was found protecting Solivan.

'I swear, my heart has a ladder tall enough to reach you both,' Borges wrote. 'Mary you leave me with a pain that I never thought I would feel.'

Camuy moved to Central Florida from his native Puerto Rico to work for the Spanish-language television network Telemundo.

He was on the production team for 'La Voz Kids,' a talent show for young singers in its fourth season. He had previously worked for the network in Puerto Rico.

'Jonathan was an extremely hard-working individual, full of life, enthusiastic and with a great personality,' the network said in a statement. 'He will be missed dearly.'

Camuy was also active in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, which called him 'one of our own' in a statement about his death.

In the aftermath, Borges posted the last picture of the three of them together, taken at Pulse, asking for information about them.

'I was telling my mom, how could my sister-in-law, who had two children, die… and I'm still alive? That's what I really can't comprehend,' he told CNN.

It had been Solivan who wanted to go to a gay club.

'Let's go to a gay club because they're killing at the other clubs,' he recalled her saying.

William Sabad Borges (center) went to Pulse with his sister-in-law Yilmary Solivan (right) and Jonathan Camuy (left). Only Borges survived and he said that Camuy died a hero protecting Solivan, a mother-of-two

Jonathan Camuy, 25, (pictured left) and Yilmary Solivan went to Pulse with her brother-in-law William Sabad Borges, who said Camuy died a hero

TEVIN EUGENE CROSBY, 25

Tevin Eugene Crosby's inspirational posts on Facebook — '2016 will be the best year ever' — represented his drive for success.

Chavis Crosby, told the Orlando Sentinel that his brother was ambitious and hard-working. 'Whatever goal he had in mind, he worked hard. Whether alone or on a team, he worked on that goal.'

Tevin Crosby, 25, (pictured below) was director of operations for a Michigan marketing firm. He recently visited his family in Statesville, North Carolina, to watch several nieces and nephews graduate. Then he traveled to Orlando after passing along some brotherly advice about business and setting goals. He loved to travel for work and fun, Chavis Crosby said.

'He was definitely a good person and a good brother to me,' he said.

ENRIQUE L RIOS, 25

New York-based Enrique L Rios, 25, (pictured below) was a carer for the elderly in Brooklyn.

He flew to Orlando for his friend's birthday.

His family has started a GoFundMe page to repatriate his body. Within 16 hours it had raised more than $17,000.

At first his mother Merced told the New York Daily News she refused to believe her son was dead until she saw him.

'I was told by police that my son was identified by his wallet, and for me that is not enough,' she said.

'Until I view my son for myself I have hope that maybe there was a mistake. Maybe it wasn't him.'

Later as the news sunk in she said: 'Enrique was a wonderful person. He loved everybody and everybody who knew him loved him.'

Reflecting on the last time they spoke, on Friday, she said: 'He just sounded so happy.'

He is survived by three brothers and two sisters.

Tevin Crosby, 25, (left) was director of operations for a Michigan marketing firm traveling for work. Enrique L Rios (right) was a carer for the elderly in Brooklyn.

ANTONIO DAVON BROWN, 29

Brown was a Captain serving as a Troop Program Unit soldier in the U.S. Army Reserve.

He had graduated from Florida A&M in 2008 with a major in criminal justice.

Hailing from Cocoa Beach, Florida, he was a member of ROTC while at the school.

CORY JAMES CONNELL, 21

Connell, 21, was at Pulse with his girlfriend, who survived the attack.

He was a broadcasting sports journalism major at Valencia College.

His brother said he had an 'amazing soul'.

'The world lost an amazing soul, today,' Ryan Connell wrote on Facebook. 'God just got the best of angels.'

Antonio Davon Brown, 29, (left) was a Captain serving as a Troop Program Unit soldier in the U.S. Army Reserve. Cory James Connell, 21, (right) was at Pulse with his girlfriend, who survived the attack. He was a broadcasting sports journalism major at Valencia College

JUAN P. RIVERA VELAZQUEZ, 37, and LUIS DANIEL CONDE, 39, and JAVIER JORGE-REYES, 40

Velazquez was at Pulse with his friends Conde and Jorge-Reyes.

The 37-year-old was originally from Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, but lived in Orlando.

His brother Baron Serrano waited outside the hospital for nine hours on Sunday before Velazquez was identified as one of the dead. '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 New York Times.

Conde was originally from San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, but lived in Orlando.

Velazquez and Conde were the owners of D'Magazine Salon & Spa in Kissimmee, Florida.

'I'm so sad to hear Luis Conde and Juan P. didn't make it out of Pulse,' wrote a friend of the pair, Philip Goodwin Jr, on Facebook. 'I will miss you guys. Huge loss for my industry but even more; two very amazing guys with great hearts and so much talent.'

Jorge-Reyes was from Guyama, Puerto Rico, and studied at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. He lived in Orlando and worked as a supervisor for Gucci, according to his Facebook page. He was on the social network using the name Harvey George Kings, an English translation of his name.

His friend Ellen Taaffe paid tribute to him on Facebook, saying he was 'very loved' and will never be forgotten.

'Today I woke up to the news I spent all night hoping not to hear,' she wrote. 'An old and dear friend lost his precious life in the completely senseless act of yesterday that I will never be able to comprehend. Harvey George Kings, your smile was contagious and your sass always entertaining!'

She added: 'You made me feel like a beautiful woman and mother even on days I couldn't see it, and you had an uncanny knack for making my baby kick on demand when I was pregnant! You are so very loved and never forgotten. I hope you get to spend all your days dancing and laughing until we see you again!'

'Going to miss you brother,' added Franz Thompson. 'Thanks for the bit of positive you left on this earth. Rest in peace Harvey.'

Juan P. Rivera Velazquez (left) and Luis Daniel Conde (center), the owners of D'Magazine Salon & Spa in Kissimmee, Florida, and their friend Javier Jorge-Reyes (right) were at Pulse together

Friends Juan P. Rivera Velasquez (left) Javier Jorge-Reyes (center) and Luis Daniel Conde (right) all died in the shooting at Pulse nightclub

SIMON ADRIAN CARRILLO FERNANDEZ, 31, and OSCAR A. ARACENA-MONTERO, 26

Carrillo, who worked at McDonald's, was at Pulse with his boyfriend Aracena after the pair came home from vacation in Niagara Falls on Saturday. Both were killed in the massacre.

'This world is so messed up,' Denise Ortiz-Pagan wrote on Facebook after finding out about their deaths. She described the couple as 'amazing' and 'hard-working.'

'It just rips your heart out,' she added. 'Rest in Peace you beautiful souls... and may we all find a way to heal and go on.'

Aracena-Montero is originally from the Dominican Republic. His cousin Joel Aracena paid tribute to him in a post on Facebook, saying he was completely devastated by the news of Aracena-Montero's death.

'Today is an will be as long as I live the most devastating date in my life,' he wrote. He described his 'dear cousin' as a humble person who loved his family. 'I find it still hard to believe I don't have my partner with me. My cousin, my beautiful Oscar Aracena, I'm going to miss you as long as I live.'

A friend of the couple, Norkis Fernandez-Valdez wrote in tribute: 'We're not always going to understand why tragedy happens, but true faith means trusting God when life doesn't make sense.'

She added: 'It's so hard to comprehend that you're no longer with us, just last week we spoke and 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 and 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.'

The couple's neighbor Luz Alicia Ruiz told NBC News: 'I feel angry, and I feel sad at the same time. They were great neighbors. They were awesome people.'

Simon Carillo (left) was at Pulse with his boyfriend Oscar Aracena-Montero (right). Both were killed in the massacre

JASON BENJAMIN JOSAPHAT, 19

In the early hours of Sunday morning, Josaphat called his mother from Pulse nightclub as a gunman opened fire to ask for help, his aunt and uncle said. She begged him to hide in a bathroom stall, and called 911.

She stayed on the line with him and could hear gunshots in the background, but tried to calm him down as he hid in the bathroom, Jimmy and Myrleine Inelus told KPNX-TV in Arizona, where Josaphat went to high school.

His mother then didn't hear anything for as many as 20 seconds.

'It was dead silence on the phone ... I think that's when the gunman finally made his way into the bathroom,' Jimmy Inelus said.

On Monday morning, his family learned that the 19-year-old was among the dead.

Josaphat moved to Orlando after graduating from high school in 2014.

A childhood friend, Messiah McMillian, told KNXV-TV in Phoenix that he was one of the first people whom Josaphat told he was gay.

'When I found out, I never judged him,' McMillian said. 'I never looked at him any differently. He was always my friend.'

'Whenever somebody was in a bad mood or if you saw anyone down, he would always be that one friend helping to put everyone up,' McMillian said.

He recently graduated from Southern Technical Institute's business office specialist program in Pinellas Park, Florida. Martin Levert, the college's executive director, called Josaphat 'an exceptional student.'

His uncle Christopher Long described his as a computer-savvy and said that he loved to work out. 'He was very excited about his journey,' Long told the Orlando Sentinel. 'He mentioned to me that he wanted to start taking pictures, he had a passion for photography. He was just real special.'

Jason Benjamin Josaphat (pictured left and right) called his mother from Pulse nightclub to tell her there was someone was shooting

FRANK HERNANDEZ, 27

Hernandez, who was from Weslaco, Texas, was with his partner at Pulse but the couple became separated.

He moved to Orlando for work around two years ago, his family told KRGV.

Linda Garza set up a GoFundMe page to help his family with funeral expenses. In a post on the page, she wrote: 'Frank H. Escalante was just an absolute incredible person inside and out.

'I, Linda Garza, along with all his family and many friends would greatly appreciate any type of help we can get for funeral expenses. Thank you all so much. Again, any type of help is greatly appreciated by his family. God bless you all.'

JEAN C. NIVES RODRIGUEZ, 27

Rodriguez was a 'great person,' his friends said.

His cousin's wife Mariluz Calderon wrote on Facebook that his whole family are devastated and in shock at the news.

'I pray to God to give you the strength to get through this tragedy and also for all those families who lost their loved ones,' she said.

Frank Hernandez (pictured left) and Jean C. Nives Rodriguez (right) were confirmed as having died in the shooting

JOEL RAYON PANIAGUA, 32

Panigua grew up in Veracruz, Mexico, but moved to Ocoee, Florida, where he had a brother, more than a decade ago.

He went home to Mexico for a few years but returned last year and moved to live near Tampa, friends said.

He loved to dance and was described by his friends as extremely loyal.

'He was the best. He was loyal. He was always trying to do stuff to make you feel better,' his friend Lorena Barragan told the Orlando Sentinel. 'He was very good friend.

ALEJANDRO BARRIOS MARTINEZ, 21

Joel Rayon Paniagua (pictured left), 32, and Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21, (right) were officially identified as victims on Monday

JUAN CHEVEZ-MARTINEZ, 25

Chevez-Martinez was originally from Huichapan, Mexico, but lived in Davenport, Florida. He worked at Reunion Resorts in Kissimmee, Florida.

'My heart is still breaking for my friend. It is very hard to talk right now. He had a lot of friends,' his friend Tomas Martinez told the Orlando Sentinel.

Robert Urdaneta, who worked with him, said on Facebook: 'May God bless you and hold in you in his glory. And rest in peace, my good friend. My brother in work. An excellent boss and person.'

JERALD ARTHUR WRIGHT, 31

Wright, 31, was quiet but knew how to treat guests at Walt Disney World, where he worked as a seasonal employee, a former co-worker said.

'He was one of the kindest people you could meet,' co-worker 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 town.'

Wright 'was a great guy to work with,' former co-worker Scott Dickison said. 'He was quiet but really wonderful with all the guests. He always had a smile on his face.'

Dickison said Wright had worked most recently in merchandising on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, but also had worked in Tomorrowland and at Universal Studios in Orlando.

Wright had gone to Pulse to celebrate a friend's 21st birthday, the Sentinel reports.

Juan Chevez-Martinez (pictured left), 25, and Jerald Arthur Wright (right) , 31, lost their lives in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history

RODOLFO AYALA-AYALA, 33

Ayala-Ayala was originally from San German in Puerto Rico, but was living in Kissimmee, Florida.The 33-year-old worked for OneBlood, the Florida-based blood bank that was taking donations on Sunday following the massacre at Pulse.

'He was very close with many people in the Biologics department,' a OneBlood spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. 'Needless to say, it's a tough day at the blood bank.'

Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala (pictured left and right) worked for OneBlood, the Florida-based blood bank that was taking donations on Sunday

PAUL TERRELL HENRY, 41

Friends of Henry took to Facebook to pay tribute to the 41-year-old, who was a father, describing him as an 'amazing' and 'loving' person.

Jemuel Carty wrote: 'This dude whenever you were having a rough day can make you bust out laughing even if you didn't want to. Probably one of the funniest people I ever met. Always in good spirits and he left behind children.'

Henry's nephew Henry Anthony paid tribute to him, writing: 'My heart is heavy my only uncle is gone. Gone but not forgotten #R.I.P Dr. Paul T.Henry.'

Natasha Williams added: 'Who would've known that you'd be gone? My heart is saddened today by your transition. You will truly be missed!'

ANGEL L. CANDELARIO-PADRO, 28

Candelario-Padro was an ophthalmic technician technician at the Florida Retina Institute. He started his new job just a few days before he was shot dead in Pulse.

He lived in Florida, but was originally from Guanica, Puerto Rico, where he studied nursing. He had recently moved to Orlando from Chicago, where he had worked as a Zumba instructor, to start a new life.

While in Chicago, he studied at the Illinois College of Optometry and also worked at Old Navy.

Paul Terrell Henry (left), 41, was confirmed dead on Monday, as was 28-year-old Angel L. Candelario-Padro (pictured right)

CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH SANFELIZ, 24

Sanfeliz worked at a bank in Tampa.

After hearing about the shooting, his father Carlos and close friend Mike Wallace traveled to Orlando to find out if he had survived the massacre.

The 24-year-old had told his family earlier that he and some friends were planning to go to Pulse at the weekend, Wallace told the Orlando Sentinel.

'He was a wonderful person and this is such a tragedy,' Wallace said. 'He was cut down in his prime.'

Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz (pictured) was also named as one of the 49 who lost their lives at Pulse nightclub

GERALDO ANTONIO ORTIZ-JIMENEZ, 25

Ortiz-Jimenez was the last victim to be identified by the city of Orlando. The 25-year-old, who was originally from Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, was known as Drake Ortiz, his friends said.

He lived in Carolina, Puerto Rico, according to his Facebook page, and studied at the Universidad del Este there.

Ortiz appeared to have been on holiday in Orlando at the time of his death. A friend shared a picture of him on Facebook early on Monday, writing: 'This is my friend Geraldo Antonio Ortiz better known as Drake missing.'

The friend added that he never returned to his hotel and failed to check out on Mondya.

Geraldo Ortiz-Jimenez (pictured), 25, of Puerto Rico, was the last victim to be identified by the city of Orlando on Monday evening

WOUNDED VICTIMS

Hospital officials in Orlando said five people remain in 'grave' condition following the attack.

Orlando Regional Medical Center treated 44 victims after the attack, and 29 remain in hospital.

Of those, five people remain in 'grave condition' and a number are 'critically ill and in shock'.

Surgeons have performed around 30 operations on the victims, and local blood banks have more than 600 units of blood on hand – more than usual as a result of all the donations, the hospital said.

Marissa Delgado, who lives in a building near Almodovar, suffered critical injuries and remains in hospital after the shooting.

Her co-workers expressed their shock to Daily Mail Online.

Davonte Phillips, 19, who works with Delgado at the local Circle K gas station near their apartment buildings, said that she had been shot six times.

Jenny Vergara, who also works at the gas station, said that they had been informed Marissa had lost a lot of blood and wouldn't be coming into work for a while.

ORLANDO SHOOTINGS TIMELINE 2:02am - Sunday, June 12 - Suspect Omar Mateen tries to enter Pulse nightclub armed with assault rifle and and handgun and is spotted by a uniformed officer. The two exchange fire outside the club - but Mateen manages to enter the nightclub holding 320 people while still firing. The shooting then developed in a hostage situation. 2:09am - Pulse nightclub posts a message to their Facebook desperately telling those inside 'Everyone get out of pulse and keep running'. 5.05am - Three hours after the first shooting began, a SWAT team rushed inside to rescue hostages and confront Mateen. Members of the SWAT team detonated a controlled explosion to confuse Mateen and then nine officers exchange gunfire with terrorist - shooting him dead. SWAT officers manage to free 30 hostages who dashed to safety. 5:35am - Orlando police confirm that the shooter is dead. 8:00am - Officials with the FBI deem the incident to be 'domestic terrorism'. 9:40am - The shooter was officially identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie. 10:20am - At a press conference Mayor Buddy Dyer makes the announcement that 49 people have died and 53 injured in what is now the worst mass shooting in the history of the United States. 11.54am - US Senator Bill Nelson and California congressman Adam Schiff claimed Mateen had pledged his allegiance to ISIS Advertisement

Hundreds gathered on the south steps of the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, to hold a vigil for the people killed in the attack

People gathered for a vigil to honor the victims of the mass shooting at Eola Lake Park in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday evening

Lit candles are seen during a vigil to honor the 49 people who were killed in the mass shooting at Eola Lake Park in Orlando

Two men light candles during a vigil at Eola Lake Park in Orlando to honor the victims of the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub

A group of people embraces and locks arms to form a circle during a vigil to honor the 49 people who died in the nightclub attack

A lantern was launched members of the community gathered for a vigil at Eola Lake Park in Orlando on Sunday evening

49 people were killed and a further 53 taken to hospital, most in critical condition, after a gunman opened fire in Pulse nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning. Above, people gathered at Eola Lake Park to mourn the victims on Sunday evening

People pray and observe a memorial in honor of the victims during a vigil at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in Orlando

Thousands of people attended the vigil outside the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando

A man holds a rainbow flag in a crowd of people at a vigil outside the Stonewall Inn, a famous gay bar in Greenwich Village in New York

Members and supporters of the LGTBQ community attend a candlelight vigil outside the White House in Washington to honor the victims

People light candles on the ground at the site of a vigil for the victims of the Orlando shooting, in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday

Beckfar de Faux is embraced by Nick Thurber during a vigil for the Orlando shooting victims at Memorial Park in Provo, Utah

A woman holds a candle and a pride flag during a vigil for the Orlando shooting victims at Memorial Park in Provo, Utah

Jessica Voght, center left, and Melanie Vergara embrace during a vigil for the Orlando shooting victims at Memorial Park in Provo, Utah

In London, a vigil was held on Old Compton Street in Soho, the center of the city's LGBT community

Members of London's LGBT community showed their solidarity with the community in Orlando at a vigil in the city's Soho neighborhood

Friends and family gathered outside Orlando Regional Medical Center to see if their loved ones were safe after the shooting

$1MILLION RAISED IN LESS THAN 12 HOURS TO SUPPORT VICTIMS OF TRAGEDY A GoFundMe page, set up by Equality Florida, the state's LGBT civil rights organization, to support the victims of the shooting, has raised more than $2.8million in a day. Equality Florida issued a statement on the shooting, saying: 'We are heartbroken and angry that senseless violence has once again destroyed lives in our state and in our country. 'Gay clubs hold a significant place in LGBTQ history. They were often the only safe gathering place and this horrific act strikes directly at our sense of safety. June commemorates our community standing up to anti-LGBTQ violence at the Stonewall Inn, the nightclub that has become the first LGBTQ site recognized as a national monument. 'We have received a steady stream of emails and messages from those seeking to help or to make sense of the senseless. We make no assumptions on motive. We will await the details in tears of sadness and anger. We stand in solidarity and keep our thoughts on all whose lives have been lost or altered forever in this tragedy.' The page posted an update saying the funds raised will be going directly to the victims and their families. It added that Equality Florida is working with local organizations, who are also helping to raise funds, to ensure the money is distributed properly. Advertisement

Mateen opened fire at Pulse night club, killing 49 people before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers, police said. There were around 320 people inside the club at the time of the shootings and about 100 people were taken hostage.

At least 53 people were hospitalized, most in critical condition, officials said. A surgeon at Orlando Regional Medical Center said the death toll was likely to climb.

A hotline has been set up in the city for those searching for people who may have been at the club, and a Facebook safety check has been put in place, allowing people to tag themselves and other friends to let people know they are safe.

Relatives and friends, many in tears, have gathered outside the hospital to learn the fate of loved ones.

The city of Orlando, meanwhile, says it is will update its list of victims as families are notified.

'On this very difficult day, we offer heartfelt condolences to today's victims and their families,' a post on the website said.

'Our City is working tirelessly to get as much information out to the families so they can begin the grieving process. Please keep the following individuals in your thoughts and prayers. #PrayforOrlando.'

Members of the FBI, Orlando Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Office investigate the attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando on Sunday

A soldier stands guard outside the Pulse nightclub, where a gunman opened fire in the early hours of Sunday morning

Witnesses said he fired relentlessly - 20 rounds, 40, then 50 and more. Pictured above, the damaged rear wall of the nightclub is seen

A woman sits on the ground outside the nightclub while another partygoer, whose legs are covered in blood, stands beside her

Orlando Police officers direct family members away from a multiple shooting at the nightclub in Orlando, Florida, early on Sunday

Friends and family members embrace outside the Orlando Police Headquarters during following the shooting at Pulse nightclub

Ray Rivera, a DJ at Pulse Orlando nightclub, is consoled by a friend outside Orlando Police Department following the shooting

Demetrice Naulings sobs outside the Orlando Police Headquarters where police are interviewing witnesses to the deadly attack

Police, army and FBI surround the club after the gunman, wielding an assault rifle and a handgun, killed 49 people

Authorities were investigating the attack on the Florida dance club as an act of terrorism. The shooter called 911 shortly before the attack and referenced ISIS, FBI agent Ronald Hopper said.

He was stopped by hero officers, who used a 'controlled explosion' to distract Mateen before fatally shooting him and rescuing about 30 hostages who were hiding in the bathroom of the club. During the gunfire, an officer was shot, but he was saved by his helmet.

At a news conference on Sunday, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said: 'Many were saved by the heroic efforts of the men and women of the OPD, the Orange County Sheriffs, Seminal County Sheriff's office.'

Pulse initially posted on its own Facebook page: 'Everyone get out of Pulse and keep running.'

Just before 6am, the club posted an update: 'As soon as we have any information, we will update everyone. Please keep everyone in your prayers as we work through this tragic event. Thank you for your thoughts and love.'

In addition to the assault rifle, the shooter also had some sort of 'suspicious device,' the police chief said.

At first, officers mistakenly thought the gunman had strapped explosives to the dead and that the club was booby-trapped. A bomb robot sent back images of a battery part next to a body, Dyer said.

That prevented paramedics from going in until authorities determined the battery was something that fell out of an exit sign or a smoke detector.

The robot was sent in after SWAT team members put explosive charges on a wall and an armored vehicle knocked the wall down in an effort to rescue hostages.

At around 6am local time police tweeted: 'Pulse Shooting: The shooter inside the club is dead.' In total, 39 people were killed inside the club, two outside, and nine others died after being rushed to hospital.

Shooter Omar Mateen (left and right in his freshman year high school yearbook photo in 2001), 29, from Port St. Lucie in Florida, opened fire at Pulse night club in the early hours of Sunday morning

A mini van pictured at the scene of the shooting has been confirmed as the vehicle used by Omar Mateen, 29, from Port St. Lucie in Florida

Hero officers used a 'controlled explosion' to distract the shooter before fatally shooting him and were able to rescue about 30 hostages who were hiding in the bathroom of the club. During the gunfire, an officer was shot, but he was saved by his helmet (pictured)

Shortly before the attack, Mateen, who was born in New York to Afghan parents, called 911 and pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Pictured above, emergency services at the scene

In the aftermath of the attack, police departments across the country stepped up patrols in neighborhoods frequented by the LGBT community.

Authorities immediately began investigating whether it was an act of terrorism and probing into the background of Mateen, a 29-year-old American citizen who was born in New York to Afghan parents.

They were looking into whether the shooter acted alone, according to Danny Banks, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

'This is an incident, as I see it, that we certainly classify as domestic terror incident,' Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said.

Shooter Omar Mateen (pictured), 29, from Port St. Lucie in Florida, opened fire at Pulse night club in the early hours of Sunday

Authorities said they had secured a van owned by the suspect outside the club. Meanwhile, a SWAT truck and a bomb-disposal unit were on the scene of an address associated with Mateen in Fort Pierce, about 118 miles southeast of Orlando.

Meanwhile, the gunman's father Seddique Mir Mateen revealed his son recently got angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami and said that might be related to the assault.

'We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident,' he said. 'We weren't aware of any action he is taking. We are in shock like the whole country.'

When asked if the gunman had a connection to radical Islamic terrorism, Hopper said authorities had 'suggestions that individual has leanings towards that.' Mateen's father said the attack had nothing to do with religion, he said.

Mateen, who had worked as a security guard, made a 911 call from the club in which he professed allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a law enforcement official said.

The official was familiar with the investigation but was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The massacre is also the first instance in which ISIS has claimed responsibility for an attack on US soil.

The terror group's Amaq news agency said on Sunday: 'The armed attack that targeted a gay night club in the city of Orlando in the American state of Florida which left over 100 people dead or injured was carried out by an Islamic State fighter.'

During the attack, Mateen also referenced the brothers who carried out the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, a Massachusetts State Police spokesman said on Sunday.

'During a conference call with federal law enforcement officials a short time ago, Massachusetts State Police and other local law enforcement authorities learned that the Orlando nightclub gunman, during his rampage, pledged allegiance to ISIS and referenced the Tsarnaev brothers,' state police spokesman David Procopio said in an e-mail.

The Tsarnaev brothers killed three people and injured more than 260 in the April 15, 2013, attack. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, died four days later during a gun battle with police while Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, now 22, has been sentenced to death for his role in the attack.

Mateen, who has a three-year-old son, was born in 1986 in New York and married Sitora Alisherzoda Yusufiy, 27, who was born in Uzbekistan, in 2009.

The mother of his son appears to be a woman named Noor Zahi Salman, Buzzfeed reported.

However, public records list the 30-year-old as living in Rodeo, California, since last year. Salman appears to have separated from Mateen and declined to comment to the Washington Post when reached at her current address.

Before the shooting, he appeared to live a quiet life. The imam of the Florida mosque that he attended for nearly a decade described him as a soft-spoken man, who would visit regularly but would rarely interact with the congregation.

'He hardly had any friends,' Syed Shafeeq Rahman, who heads the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, said. 'He would come with his little son at night to pray and after he would leave.'

Rahman said Mateen never approached him regarding any concerns about homosexuals. He added he himself had increasingly spoken out against violence, noting that even inflicting a scratch on someone was against the tenets of Islam.

Sitora Yusufiy (pictured left and right), the ex-wife of Orlando gunman Omar Mateen claims he would beat her for doing household chores

A classmate from his Florida high school described Mateen as a typical teenager who played football for a Martin County team in Stuart, a small city about a 20-minute drive from Fort Pierce.

Samuel King said he often spoke with Mateen after he graduated high school. King worked at Ruby Tuesday's restaurant in the Treasure Coast Mall, where Mateen worked at GNC, the nutrition store, he said.

King, who is openly gay, said the Mateen he knew until 2009 did not appear to be anti-gay.

'What is shocking to me is that the majority of the staff at Ruby Tuesday's when I worked there were gay,' he said. 'He clearly was not anti-(gay) at least not back then.

'He did not show any hatred to any of us. He treated us all like the individuals we were. He always smiled and said hello.'

King described Mateen as gregarious and talkative in the immediate years after high school, but said 'something must have changed' since he last saw him in 2009.

Mateen was a security guard with a company called G4S. In a 2012 newsletter, the firm identified him as working in West Palm Beach.

In a statement sent Sunday to the Palm Beach Post, the company confirmed that he had been an employee since September 2007. State records show that Mateen had held a firearms license since at least 2011.

In 2013, Mateen made inflammatory comments to co-workers, and was was interviewed twice, FBI agent Ronald Hopper said. He called those interviews inconclusive.

Then, in 2014, the F.B.I. discovered a possible tie between Mr. Mateen and Moner Mohammad Abusalha, who had grown up in nearby Vero Beach and became the first American suicide bomber in Syria, where he fought with the Nusra Front. Again, the F.B.I. closed its inquiry after finding 'minimal' contact between the pair.

Hopper said, officials found that Mateen had ties to an American suicide bomber in 2014. He described the contact as minimal, saying it did not constitute a threat at the time.

Mateen purchased at least two firearms legally within the last week or so, according to Trevor Velinor of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.



