“Everyone get out of pulse and keep running.”
The message posted to the Facebook page for the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in the early hours Sunday made clear that something was horribly wrong.
A gunman had opened fire inside the club, killing 50 people and injuring 53 others. But even before the horrendous massacre made Orlando’s “premier gay nightclub” the focus of a federal terrorism investigation, Pulse held an important spot in the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender scene.
Barbara Poma opened the club in 2004 to pay tribute to her gay brother, John, who died of AIDS in 1991, according to the club’s website.
The club held a variety of themed dance nights, including a Latin night scheduled Saturday and regularly promoted education and awareness events.
Owners strove to ensure that Pulse had an atmosphere that “embraced the gay lifestyle.”
“They coined the name Pulse for John’s heartbeat — as a club that is John’s inspiration, where he is kept alive in the eyes of his friends and family,” the club’s website states.
“Being raised in a strict Italian family, being gay was frowned upon. However, when John came out to his family and friends, the family dynamic transitioned from a culture of strict tradition to one of acceptance and love,” reads a statement on Pulse’s website.
As investigators worked to remove bodies Sunday morning, clubgoers and performers were trying to check on their friends through social media.
Kenya Michaels, a drag queen from Puerto Rico, was among those scheduled to appear at Pulse on Saturday night.
“I want everyone to know I am ok please pray for my friends and family at pulse night club,” Ms. Michaels wrote on her Facebook page.
Angelica Jones, a regular performer at Pulse, also posted to Facebook on Sunday to let friends know she was OK.
“God’s good. I made it out safe. Thank you for your prayers,” Miss Jones wrote.
The gunman was identified in preliminary news reports as Omar Saddiqui Mateen. While his motive for targeting up the club is unconfirmed, a man identified as Mateen’s father told NBC News that his son became angry a couple of months ago when he saw two men kissing in Miami and he believes that might be related to the shooting.
The attack sent shock waves through the national gay community. Officials were particularly concerned about the targeting of the nightclub during LGBT Pride Month.
“Though details are still emerging, an attack during Pride Month against Pulse, an iconic gathering place for LGBT Floridians, has a particularly insidious impact on our entire community,” said LGBT Equality Caucus Executive Director Roddy Flynn. “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this tragedy.”
Terry DeCarlo, director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Central Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel that the shooting was “an attack on the LGBT community.” He said the center was calling counselors from around Orlando help provide services to those who witnessed or were affected by the shooting.
Extra security was being put in place at gay pride events around the country Sunday following the deadly attack on the LGBT nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida — with officials in Los Angeles confirming the arrest of a heavily armed man who told authorities he was in town for the pride parade in West Hollywood, California.
Cities including Los Angeles, Boston and Washington were hosting gay pride parades and festivals this weekend as part of annual events organized during LGBT Pride month in June.
“Just yesterday, we held the annual Capital Pride Parade, a celebration of the rich diversity and contributions of the LGBTQ community in the District of Columbia,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. “Ahead of today’s Capital Pride Festival, I have been briefed by [Metropolitan Police Department] Chief Cathy Lanier about increased security measures. Today as always, we will not be deterred by hate as we gather to celebrate love.”
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti confirmed that the Santa Monica police, responding to a report early Sunday of a prowler, arrested a man and found possible explosives, assault rifles and ammunition in his car. The man told authorities he was in town for the pride parade being hosted in West Hollywood, where more than 400,000 attendees were expected.
Mr. Garcetti said there was no known link between the man and the deadly mass shooting in Orlando. Fifty people were killed and 53 injured in the shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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