As news of the Orlando shooting unfolded on Sunday, one of many heart breaking moments was the desperate appeal from Christine Leinonen – a woman frantically trying to find out any news about her son.

She had not heard from since the previous day but knew he’d been at Pulse nightclub.

‘I don’t know where my son is,’ she told WESH from outside a local hospital. ‘I know that he was sitting next to his boyfriend and his boyfriend was taken by ambulance with multiple gunshots. We can’t get a hold of him.’

It has now been confirmed that her son, Christopher ‘Drew’ Leinonen, aged 32, was among those to be murdered by gunman Omar Manteen at the Orlando LGBT venue in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Omar slayed 49 people – most confirmed as gay – before a tense stand-off with police. He died in gunfire when the building was eventually stormed.

It’s now been confirmed that another of those to die was Leinonen’s boyfriend, 22-year-old Juan Ramon Guerrero.

Time magazine has revealed that the two men, who lived together and had been dating for two years, are now likely to be buried together in a joint funeral.

Guerrero’s father, who has the same name, said it’s what his son would have wanted: ‘I think my son wanted to do that. That’s why. I don’t care what the people think. I don’t care.’

Aryam Guerrero, the victim’s sister, said, ‘They were honestly so in love. They were soul mates. You can tell by how they looked at each other,’ she said. ‘It’s a little comforting that they died together.’

‘If it’s not a funeral, they were going to have a wedding together.’

Guerrero’s death was confirmed early yesterday – after his body was seen being carried from the club on a stretcher by emergency services. Leinonen’s death was confirmed later yesterday afternoon.

Guerrero’s family say that it was Leinonen’s mother, Christine, who had the idea of burying them together. She did not immediately respond to Time’s request for comment.

Guerrero was due to turn 23 in a few days time and his family say they still plan to celebrate his birthday.

‘My wife will cook all the food he likes,’ said Ramon Guerrero Snr. ‘He was a beautiful kid, a hard worker, friendly, sweet person.

‘I lost part of my life.’

The names of all the victims of Sunday’s attack have now been released via the City of Orlando’s official website.

H/T: Time