For the more than 10,000 people gathered Monday night at a vigil for Orlando’s dead, it took three minutes and 38 seconds for the full dimensions of the crime to hit home. There were speeches and songs and flowers and photos at the makeshift memorial. But then three people took turns reading the 49 names of the singers, dancers, models, brothers, sisters and friends who died. Until now, the names had trickled out. Friends and family were notified. But this was the complete list. The verification. For some it was cathartic, for others it was too much.
The 49 who were killed had lives and loves and dreams, and some of those stories began to emerge on Monday. These profiles were compiled by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Phil Kearney and Chris Bowling from the AJC’s reporting, the Associated Press, Orlando Sentinel and the Washington Post. AJC reporters Kristina Torres and Jill Vejnoska ran background checks on all people who were identified on Sunday and Monday, searching for victims with ties to Georgia. They found few such connections but made a sad discovery: many of the dead were so young, they’d had little time to amass any sort of paper trail of their lives.
Stanley Almodovar III, 23, pharmacy technician
Almodovar’s mother had prepared a tomato-and-cheese dip for him to eat when he came home from his night out. Instead, Rosalie Ramos was awakened by a call at 2 a.m. Sunday telling her something had happened. Ramos said her son, a pharmacy technician, 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 said. A friend, Hazel Ramirez, described Almodovar as “kind but sassy,” someone who was comfortable with his own sexual identity. “He was so proud of who he was,” she said. “He would do his makeup better than anyone else. It was so easy to be myself with him.
Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26, student
Flores died with a friend at Pulse. She had worked at Target and was a student at Valencia Community College, according to her social media profile. Her father, Cesar, told the AJC she was “just a happy girl all the time.” Flores said he had last seen his daughter a few days ago when she brought him something to eat. Then he broke down. “She was my daughter,” he said.
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20, actor and dancer
The last image friends have of Omar Capo shows the 20-year-old doing what he loves: dancing. The Snapchat video, taken about 12:30 a.m. in a dark club, captures Capo jumping around with friends to blaring Latin music. “He was always just loving and kind,” said friend Daniel Suarez-Ortiz. “The reason why he moved to Orlando was for his acting and dancing career, and it hurts that he is not able to do that anymore.”
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22, telemarketer and student
Guerrero told a cousin he was gay about two years ago, but he was worried about how the rest of his family would react. He finally told them late last year, and “they were very accepting,” said the cousin, Robert Guerrero, 19. “As long as he was happy, they were OK with it.” Guerrero said his cousin worked as a telemarketer and had started attending college at the University of Central Florida. Guerrero said his cousin didn’t quite know what he wanted to study but was happy to be in school. And he was happy in a relationship with a person his relatives came to regard as a member of the family, Guerrero said. “He was always this amazing person (and) he was like a big brother to me,” he said.
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34, cruise line employee
Sotomayor was a caring, energetic man known for wearing a silly top hat on cruises, according to David Sotomayor, who said the two discovered they were cousins after meeting at Orlando’s annual Gay Days festival about a decade ago. David Sotomayor said 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,” David Sotomayor said. The two texted regularly, last seeing each other at a filming of the television reality show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” earlier this year. David Sotomayor was on the show for a season using the name “Jade.” He said Edward supported him and often sent him Facebook messages. They last exchanged messages late last week. “You never think that’s going to be the last time you speak to him,” David Sotomayor said.
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36, merchandise manager
Rivera moved to Florida from Puerto Rico in search of a better life. “Eric was always willing to help everybody. He sacrificed himself a lot for his family,” said his former roommate, Abismel Colon Gomez of Orlando. “He loved his brother, and he was always being generous.” Known as Eric Ortiz, he worked in merchandise management, first for Toys “R” Us and then for Ross. He held a bachelor’s degree in communications from Univercidad Central de Bayamon, Colon Gomez said.
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22, UPS worker
A friend on Facebook said Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz was known as Peter Ommy, the name relatives and friends used on social media. Peter Ommy’s Facebook page said he attended high school in New Jersey until 2013 and now worked at UPS in Orlando. He spoke both English and Spanish, according to his profile, and had lived in Africa. His Facebook page — changed Sunday to read “Remembering Peter Ommy” — is full of snapshots. His profile photo from a year ago was his face with the gay pride flag superimposed over it, a Facebook option many chose to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that gay marriage was legal.
Frank Hernandez, 27, retail worker
Julissa Leal’s brother was at Pulse nightclub on Saturday night with his boyfriend. When the mayhem started they were separated, and no one had heard from Frank since. Leal and family members had just driven to Orlando from Louisiana, desperate for information. “We’re still waiting for something. It’s going to be the longest day ever,” Leal said. “Nobody can tell us anything. Nothing at all.” The word came later on Monday: Frank Hernandez was among the dead. Leal told the AJC that her brother worked at Calvin Klein and they had last seen each other at her high school graduation in May. “He was the best person I ever knew,” she said. “I just wish I could see him again.”
Luis S. Vielma, 22, Universal Studios worker
Everyone loved Vielma, who worked at Universal Studios, friends said. 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.
Kimberly Morris, 37, Pulse nightclub employee
Morris 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,” 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. Narvell Benning met Morris when they were in college in 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.”
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30, accountant
The words “Mommy I love you” were the first in a tragic series of texts Eddie Justice sent to his mother. He woke Mina Justice at 2:06 a.m. with those words, followed by “In club they shooting.” Mina Justice said her son loved to eat and work out. She said he worked as an accountant and lived downtown. She said she briefly spoke with her son during the ordeal and then called the police. Justice knew her son was at a nightclub and over the next 45 minutes they exchanged text messages. “He’s coming. I’m gonna die,” Eddie wrote to her.
Darryl Roman Burt II, 29, university employee
Burt lived in Jacksonville, where he worked at Keiser University and was a community volunteer. “He was personable, social and easy-going,” said Shawn DeVries, president of the Jacksonville Jaycees, which Burt joined in late 2015. DeVries remembered Burt as someone who was passionate about his volunteer work and who chaired his first Jaycee event last winter. “He was the type of person that was always willing to help,” he said. “If someone needed anything he’d usually just ask for the details, where, when and what are the deadlines.”
Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25, dancer
Laureano Disla loved to dance — salsa, mambo, tango, or ballroom dancing, it didn’t matter. Laureano Disla was filled with joy when he was on a dance floor, family members said. “He was very talented,” cousin Ana Figueroa said. “He started dancing when he was about 10 years old. It was his passion.” Laureano Disla was born in Puerto Rico and studied communications at Universidad Del Sagrado Corazon. But a few credits shy of graduating, he moved to Orlando about three years ago to pursue a career as a dancer and choreographer. “He had a lot of close friends, and they are devastated,” Figueroa said. “May he rest in peace, my lovely Anthony.”
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35, Disney Live employee
Rosado worked in Mickey's Rockin' Road Show at Disney Live, according to a blog set up in tribute of survivors. The blog included a dramatic photo of him dancing with a partner at the Atlanta Bachata Fest, a dayslong celebration of Latin music and dance. "He stood out," said event director Jose Maldonado. "His performance was not the regular salsa. It was passion-driven. It set him apart." Rosado's death left Maldonado crushed. "I've been a dancer for 15 years. We're all young and think we're indestructible," he said. "The next thing you know, something like this happens. Somebody so full of life, so young and talented. It wasn't his time. He had so many dreams." Friend Sonia Parra recalled Rosado as funny and outoing. "He made everyone laugh and smile and he was a great dancer," she said. "Whenever I danced with him, it was just, wow."
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35, retail worker
For Perez, life was all about looking and feeling his best, loved ones said. “He laughed with the people and would make jokes,” said Claudia Agudelo, who worked with Perez at the Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets store. “He was always happy.” Perez moved to the Florida from Puerto Rico as a teenager, said his father, Angel Mendez. Adjusting to a new home was challenging at first, but it wasn’t long before Perez made friends and built a new life for himself. “He was a real dynamic kid,” said Mendez, 58, of Orlando.
Amanda Alvear, 25
Alvear loved taking selfies. She had reshaped herself over two years, shedding 180 pounds with the help of gastric bypass surgery and daily workouts. She proudly documented her transformation with her phone. “Can you tell I look better? Can you tell I look cuter?” she teased her brother, Brian Alvear, 32. She went to Orlando for Latin night at Pulse with a crew of friends. “People got caught in her wake,” her brother said. “Whatever she was doing, that’s what they were going to do and have fun doing it.”
Martin Benitez Torres, 33, visiting Orlando
Torres, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, had just arrived in Orlando to visit family. He posted videos on Facebook on Saturday morning and afternoon, showing him with an aunt and family he was staying with. He recorded a walking tour of the apartment property grounds to show friends and relatives back home and showed food sent to Orlando by his mother. A cousin posted the following on Facebook with a photo of Torres: “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.”
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37
Wilson-Leon was a protector, confidant and hero, according to Daniel Gmys-Casiano, a friend for almost 20 years. “We grew up in a really small town in Puerto Rico … and he was going to same church that I was, and he was always the odd man out. He was bullied constantly. He was different. He would dress in black, wear long sideburns.” Gmys-Casiano said Wilson-Leon was the first person he ever came out to about his homosexuality. He did not know that Wilson-Leon was gay. “I had this feeling that, because he was different, I kind of felt that I could trust him with the information,” Gmys-Casiano said. “I sat down and said, ‘I need to talk.’ And he said, ‘OK.’ And I couldn’t help it and I started crying.”
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25, student
Silva grew up in Manati, Puerto Rico, and moved to Orlando a few years ago, according to Irma Silva-Lauer, a cousin. His Facebook wall says he was studying health care management at the Ana G. Mendez University’s Orlando campus. “He is my older brother’s only child, and he was the light and the life of all the family gatherings. This all feels like a dream, and I’m going to wake up and he will be texting me or calling me to tell me he is ok,” Silva-Lauer wrote to the Orlando Sentinel.
Oscar Aracena-Montero, 26
Aracena had returned from a vacation in New York and Canada just before he went to the Pulse nightclub. He flew back into Orlando and stopped only briefly at his Kissimmee home before going with friends for Latin Night at the club, said Yamilka Pimentel, a cousin. Pimentel said Araceno moved with his father, Ambiorix Aracena, from the Dominican Republic to Central Florida as a child. “Oscar was a very sweet guy,” Pimentel said. “Every time he met somebody they would like him a lot. He was the type of guy who goes along with anybody.”
Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25, social worker
Rios left his home in New York to spend the weekend celebrating a friend’s birthday in Orlando. Family members remember Rios as a sharp, thoughtful and passionate person. His uncle, Eric Perez, said that Rios was a “good kid” and a strong student. Rios was a social worker, according to his Facebook page.
Cory James Connell, 21, student
Teachers described Cory James Connell as the “sweetest kid ever” and “their all-time favorite.” Ryan Connell, Cory’s brother, wrote on Facebook that his grieving family had lost their “superhero” and a “family man through and through.” “The world lost an amazing soul today,” Ryan wrote Monday. “God just got the best of angels.” Cory Connell, a graduate of Edgewater High School, was studying at Valencia College and working at the Publix in Orlando’s College Park neighborhood, according to his Facebook page.
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33, lead singer in band
Tomlinson was a vibrant and charismatic lead vocalist for the cover band Frequency, which performed at nightclubs and weddings. According to his social media profile, Tomlinson graduated from East Carolina University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in communications. Videos of his performances show Tomlinson as an energetic front man, belting out popular hit songs and typically dressed in button-down shirts, ties and vests. Earlier Monday friends had arrived at an Orlando community center seeking information on Tomlinson. Zee Renta held up the photo on her phone and told the AJC: “We just want to find our friend, that’s all. This is Shane. If anybody has seen Shane Tomlinson, please, let us know. We know he’s good. He’s alive. He has to be. He’s too strong. He’s just too strong.” Authorities announced later that day that Tomlinson was among the dead.
Juan Chavez-Martinez, 25, hotel worker
Martinez was remembered by colleagues as a kind and loving person. Friend Tomas Martinez returned a call Monday and was still obviously shaken by the events of the past 36 hours. “My heart is still breaking for my friend,” said Martinez, who said his friend worked at Reunion Resorts. Jose Crisantos of Haines City, had previously gotten to know Juan Chavez-Martinez when he worked at the Kissimmee hotel. “I was a housekeeper and he was a supervisor,” Crisantos said. “He was very well-known among us as very kind and loving.”
Jerald Arthur Wright, 31, Disney World worker
Wright was part of at least two families — his biological one and tight-knit group of friends he worked with at Walt Disney World. “It’s hard to understand, but the people with you work with at Disney, they are an amazing family,” said Scott Dickison, who left Disney last July to take a job in Clearwater. “Jerry was a great guy to work with. He was quiet but really wonderful with all the guests. He always had a smile on his face.” Wright apparently went to the club to help a friend celebrate his 21st birthday. That friend, Cory James Connell was also killed.
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25, leasing agent
Fernandez was a natural performer who loved dressing up and dancing to moves he choreographed in front of crowds while belting out renditions of Beyoncé or Jennifer Lopez. His zeal for life spilled offstage and followed him everywhere he went, even at his job as a leasing agent at Auvers Village Apartments in Orlando. “He filled our office with music,” said Yolanda Quinones-Perez, Fernandez’s friend and manager at Auvers Village. “He sang Adele in the office until we couldn’t take it anymore. It just feels very quiet, now.”
Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25, business owner
Crosby’s recent posts on Facebook are a host of inspirational memes extolling hard work, a good attitude and determination. The sentiments perfectly match the successful, dedicated business owner from Michigan, his brother Chavis Crosby said. “He was very ambitious,” Crosby said. “Whatever goal he had in mind, he worked hard. Whether alone or on a team, he worked on that goal.” His brother loved to travel for work and fun, Chavis said. Tevin flew to Orlando after a visit with family in Statesville, N.C., where he watched several nieces and nephews graduate. During that visit, Tevin and Chavis, a business student, talked about Chavis’ plans to follow his brother into business.
Luis Daniel Conde, 39
Orlando resident Sonia Parra recalled her friend as very outspoken. Conde was from Texas, Parra said, and he was exceedingly vocal on gay rights. “He would talk about anything on his mind,” she said. “He had strong opinions.” She said Conde’s activism came from the treatment of gay cousins he had in Texas. “His cousins went through some very cruel things and he never forgot. He always encouraged us to be strong and support one another.”
Jonathan Camuy, 24, TV producer
Camuy moved to Florida to work for a Spanish TV network, where he was a producer for a popular children’s talent competition. Camuy worked for La Voz Kids, similar to the NBC show “The Voice,” according to a statement from Mekahlo Medina, president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. A story on Telemundo’s website describes Camuy as “loving, talented and with a great promising future.”
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28, ophthalmic technician
The feed of Candelario-Padro’s Facebook tells the story of a young man from Puerto Rico who recently moved to Orlando from Chicago to start a new life. Pictures abound of Candelario-Padro’s adventures in Central Florida, visiting Universal Studios, the Magic Kingdom and swimming in the pool. He started his new job at the Florida Retina Institute as an ophthalmic technician on Thursday. On his Facebook page’s “about” section, Candelario-Padro wrote: “I’m an adventurous, easy-going but responsible man that would like to live the life completely.”
Miguel Angel Honorato, 30, restaurant owner
Honorato’s brother, Jose, described him as a devoted husband and father to three children. They co-ran Tortilleria & Restaurant La Mexicana, their family-owned business in Orlando, and lived in nearby Apopka. He described his brother as hardworking and loving — committed to the family business while also making time to play soccer with his children and take them to the pool. He last saw his brother when he came over recently to celebrate his 9-year-old child’s birthday. “I just don’t know what to say,” Honorato said. “He was a great father, a very generous father, and a hard worker.”
Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19, student
Like many 19-year-olds, Josaphat had many interests and was just starting to chart his path in life, according to his family. He was computer savvy, loved to work out and had an interest in photography. “He was very excited about his journey,” said Josaphat’s uncle, Christopher Long. Long said Josaphat had recently graduated from high school and had begun classes at Valencia College. He was studying computer science but had diverse interests. “He mentioned to me that he wanted to start taking pictures, he had a passion for photography,” Long said. “He was just real special.”
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40
Jorge-Reyes had a flair about him and went by the name Harvey George Kings on Facebook — an English translation of his name. “He liked to go out,” said friend Jose Diaz of Tampa. “He was proud to be Latino, super proud.” Jorge-Reyes came to Central Florida from Puerto Rico. Friends knew him as “Javi” and on Facebook recalled his smile, sass and energy. “He was always positive,” Diaz said. “He was very humble. He was a lovely friend.”
Franky Jimmy De Jesus Velazquez, 50
The last time Bernice De Jesús saw her brother, he constantly told her, “I love you.” That was Thanksgiving last year, she told the Orlando Sentinel. Now she and the rest of her family are planning a funeral for Jimmy De Jesús in his native Puerto Rico. Wanda Soto, a friend, said De Jesús was a passionate person who was always surrounded by love. "All he did was work, help people. His family loved him," Soto said. "Wherever Jimmy would go, Jimmy had people loving him.''
Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31, McDonald's manager
To his co-workers, Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez wasn’t a boss — he was a leader. Former colleagues at the world’s largest McDonalds where Carrillo was a manager in Orlando told the Orlando Sentinel he was responsible and meticulous. But one of his most endearing qualities was his penchant for the little things like birthdays — he never forgot one and they always warranted a cake and picture. Carrillo also saved his money for trips to places like Puerto Rico, Mexico and Anna Marie Island. Before the shooting at Pulse, he and his partner Oscar Aracena-Montero arrived in Orlando from Niagara Falls. Both were killed that night.
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32, construction worker
He loved to dance. He was humble, religious and always lifting up others. That’s what Lorena Barragan told the Orlando Sentinel about her longtime friend Joel Rayon Paniagua whom she met through church. "He was the best," she said. "He was loyal. He was always trying to do stuff to make you feel better." Paniagua was raised in Veracruz, Mexico, but moved to Ocoee, Fla., near Orlando in the 2000s. After moving back to Mexico he relocated again to Tampa, working construction to make money for himself and his family back home.
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37, salon owner
Juan Pablo Rivera Velasquez was a co-owner of Alta Peluqueria D’Magazine Salon and Spa with his boyfriend of 16 years, Luis Conde. Both were killed in the shooting at Pulse Nightclub. According to D’Magazine’s website, Velazquez had more than 20 years of experience working in beauty and started his career in his native Puerto Rico. D’Magazine said the salon was often filled with loyal clients wanting to visit him and Conde. In the days after the shooting, former clients paid their respects to the two with flowers or sidewalk chalk messages. "We will always thank you for making us feel beautiful," one message read.
Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez, 27, business manager
Jean Carlos Nieves started working at McDonald’s when he was 15. In a few years he became a manager. Recently he was a general manager of a cash-checking store. Ninety days ago he bought his first house. He wanted his mom to live somewhere nice. One of his best friends, Ivonne Irizarry, said he was a caring, loving, “teddy bear” of a friend who worked hard all his life. "He wanted to be the best at what he did, and he would work very hard to achieve that," Irizarry told the Orlando Sentinel. "So if he had to put in the long hours to get it right, he'd do it."
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33, blood center worker
As blood donors flood Orlando donation centers following the shooting at Pulse, workers at OneBlood off Sand Lake are mourning the loss of their own. Compassionate and career-oriented are two ways to describe Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, his friend Johnny Rivera Muñiz told the Orlando Sentinel. Ayala was all about "doing things the right way," Muñiz said.
Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49, cancer survivor
The night she died, Brenda Lee Marquez McCool had gone dancing with her son. Noreen Vaquer said McCool was fierce — the Brooklyn native raised 12 kids, beat cancer twice and “[didn’t] take nothing from nobody.” Only hours after posting a video to Facebook of couples dancing, she was killed in front of her son, Isaiah Henderson. Over the coming days, Henderson updated his Facebook page with pictures of his mom depicted as an angel and posts about how surreal the experience still felt.
Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32, gay activist
Christopher Andrew Leinonen worked as a longtime activist in the gay community. He started a gay-straight alliance in high school while living in Michigan and recently won the Anne Frank Humanitarian Award. His mother Christine Leinonen said she wished the world could find the camaraderie her son strove to build. "Please, let's all just get along,” Christine Leinonen said. “We're on this Earth for such a short time. Let's try to get rid of the hatred and the violence, please."
Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32
Known as “Dee Dee” to family, Deonka Deidra Drayton was a South Carolina native and had a young child, the Washington Post said. Drayton had problems with the law according to a former girlfriend, but was turning her life around. After the attack her aunt, Patricia Drayton Banks, posted on Facebook about her niece. “Senseless … You know this Auntie will miss you."
Paul Terrell Henry, 41
A memorable smile, fun-loving attitude and good nature are what family and friends will remember most about Paul Terrell Henry, the Washington Post reported. His cousin, Renee Clement, said the news of Henry's death hit their family “like a ton of bricks.” His boyfriend Francisco Hernandez said the two took care of each other and that Henry had a loving spirit. “I’ll always have him in my heart,” Hernandez wrote in an email to the Orlando Sentinel.
Capt. Antonio Davon Brown, 29, Army Reserve
Capt. Anthony Davon Brown of the U.S. Army Reserve was a 2008 Florida A&M University graduate who completed ROTC studies while at the university. Lt. Col. Kelvin Scott remembered Brown as someone with a friendly nature who knew how to work hard. “He was a very positive person with a very good sense of humor,” Scott told the Tallahassee Democrat. Brown deployed to Kuwait from April 2010 to March 2011 and was made a captain in 2012.
Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24
"He [was] a wonderful person and this is such a tragedy," family friend Mike Wallace told the Orlando Sentinel. When Wallace and Sanfeliz’s father Carlos heard about the shooting Sunday morning they drove to Orlando from Tampa. Sanfeliz was also a bank employee in Tampa. After waiting to hear Sanfeliz’s name along with others being treated at the hospital, the two learned he wasn’t on the list. Wallace said as the names were read, “people were crying hysterically.” “It’s really something awful to go through,” he said.
Akyra Monet Murray, 18, just graduated
Murray went to Orlando to celebrate her graduation from West Catholic Preparatory High School in Philadelphia. she waw third in her class, leading scorer on the girls basketball team for the past two seasons and a future college player at the Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Principal Jim Gallagher said Murray was a “quiet leader” who carried herself with dignity. In a message posted to the school’s website, her high school coach, Beulah Osueke, said the loss was heartbreaking. "This is a very difficult day, not just for the Murray family but for the West Catholic family and all that were touched by Akyra's warmth and magnetic embrace."
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21
Martinez only moved to Florida from Cuba last year. He was still adjusting and working on his English, but he charmed anyone he met, a friend said. "He's the type of person [who would] see you in a parking lot and he'd have a whole conversation with you," Sarai Torres said. In a Facebook post, Martinez’s cousin, Meibys, said the family was devastated by the news. She asked God to take care of him and to protect the world from further cruelty like this.
Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25
Known as “Drake” to his friends, Geraldo Ortiz-Jimenez flew to Orlando on Friday to catch a Selena Gomez and DNCE concert, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Ortiz lived in Puerto Rico, where he studied law at the Universidad del Este, according to his Facebook page. Comments on his photos relayed disbelief, vacations that will never come and condolences to his friends and family. Ortiz died a month away from his 26th birthday.
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24, mother of two
On a GoFundMe post, Rodriguez’ sister, Natalie, said Rodriguez had a smile that lit up the room and laughter that brought a smile to people’s hearts. She leaves behind a husband and two children, Sergio and Jariel. Sergio is only 3-months-old. She went to Pulse nightclub with her brother-in-law William Borges and a friend. Only Borges survived. “I swear, my heart has a ladder tall enough to reach you both,’’ Borges wrote on Facebook. “Mary, you leave me with a pain that I never thought I would feel.’’
