>>GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

THANK YOU FOR COMING.

MY NAME IS LAFONTAINE OLIVER AND I HAVE THE ABSOLUTE PLEASURE OF SERVING THIS COMMUNITY AS PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER OF 90.7 WMFE.

AND IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO SEE MANY OF YOU HERE TODAY FOR THIS DISCUSSION; TAKING YOUR PULSE, A TOWN HALL MEETING.

SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR AND HOST OF "INTERSECTION" ON 90.7 WMFE, MR.

MATTHEW PEDDIE.

[APPLAUSE] >>SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THIS TOWN HALL, TAKING YOUR PULSE.

WITH ME ON STAGE I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE CHRISTOPHER HANSEN.

HE WAS AT THE NIGHT CLUB AND MANAGED TO MAKE HIS WAY OUT OF PULSE AFTER THE SHOOTING STARTED.

HE WENT BACK TO HELP GET THE INJURED OUT OF THE CLUB.

CHRISTOPHER, THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>>THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>>ALSO JOINED BY DR.

JOSH CORSO.

HE'S A SENIOR SURGICAL RESIDENT AT ORLANDO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.

DR.

CORSO SPENT SOME 30 HOURS OPERATING ON PEOPLE INJURED IN THE SHOOTING.

DR.

CORSO, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

>>MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE.

THANK YOU.

>>AND WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY LIBBY BROWN.

SHE'S AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT STAFF NURSE WITH ORLANDO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.

SHE WAS PART OF THE TEAM THAT CARED FOR THE INJURED ON THE NIGHT OF THE SHOOTING.

LIBBY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>>THANKS.

>>SO CHRISTOPHER, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

AND TAKE US BACK TO THAT NIGHT.

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE SHOOTING STARTED?

>>I WAS ON THE EDGE OF THE VIP LOUNGE, UP AGAINST THE WALL PARALLEL TO THE BAR.

AND ALL THE COMMOTION STARTED TO THE LEFT OF ME.

AND THEN I MADE MY WAY OUT AND I HAD TO STILL GO HALF WAY THROUGH THE BAR.

SO I WAS ON THE EDGE OF THE DANCE FLOOR AND THEN STILL HAD TO-- >>SO YOU WERE ABLE TO GET OUT AND THEN YOU DECIDED TO GO BACK TO HELP.

WHAT MADE YOU GO BACK?

>>ONCE I HEARD THE PAUSE OF THE FIRE I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE TO BE SAFE TO HEAD BACK TO KIND OF SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.

AND THEN I KIND OF HAD A BUZZING SOUND IN MY HEAD AND I KIND OF WENT BLANK AND DECIDED TO JUST GO BACK.

AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW I WAS, I WAS JUST HELPING.

>>AND YOU HELPED CARRY ONE OF THE FOLKS WHO HAD BEEN ON THE DANCE FLOOR TO SAFETY.

THIS WAS AFTER BEING SHOT.

YOU USED YOUR BANDANNA TO HELP STOP THE BLEEDING.

DID YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO, OR WERE YOU KIND OF OPERATING ON INSTINCT AT THAT POINT?

>>IT WAS ALL INSTINCTUAL.

REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

I KNEW I HAD THE BANDANNA ON, TOOK MY HAT OFF, TOOK THE BANDANNA OFF AND PUT MY HAT BACK ON.

TIDE MY BANDANNA KNOT AND I STUCK IT IN THE GENTLEMAN'S BACK AND PROCEEDED TO HOLD THE PRESSURE UNTIL PARAMEDICS ARRIVED TO HELP US AT THAT POINT.

>>CHRISTOPHER HANSEN, HAVE YOU KEPT IN TOUCH WITH THE YOUNG MAN YOU HELPED SAVE ON THAT NIGHT?

>>THERE'S ONE THAT, HIS NUMBER'S CHANGED.

SO I HAVE NOT.

SINCE IT WAS I THINK SIX DAYS LATER, CRYSTAL, SHE'S HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.

SHE ACTUALLY CONNECTED US TOGETHER.

SO I GOT TO MEET HIM.

HE WAS SAFE.

THE ONE YOU SAW ME CARRYING WAS ACTUALLY A YOUNG LADY.

>>OH A YOUNG LADY.

OKAY.

>>AND SHE'S SAFE AND WE KEEP IN CONTACT AS WELL.

SHE'S HEALING QUITE LOVELY.

>>WHAT KIND OF CONVERSATIONS DO YOU HAVE?

>>JUST ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE AND OUR DAYS, WHAT OUR PLANS ARE.

WE TRY TO CREATE NEW MEMORIES, NOT TO HOLD ONTO THE OLD.

>>SO HOW HAVE THE LAST NINE MONTHS BEEN FOR YOU?

WHAT'S THAT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?

>>DIFFERENT.

I'M USED TO--I'VE SLOWED DOWN A LOT.

I'VE SLOWED DOWN.

I CAN SAY THAT MUCH.

I USED TO GO OUT ALL THE TIME, EVERY DAY, ALL DAY.

IF I WASN'T AT WORK I WAS EITHER OUT ENJOYING MYSELF.

I WORKED AT AN AMUSEMENT PARK BEFORE I CAME HERE.

SO, BACKYARD WAS SOMEWHERE WHERE I ALWAYS ENJOYED MYSELF.

AND NOW, LARGE GROUPS, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

I'LL GO INTO A CLUB AND I'LL ENJOY MYSELF.

BUT I WON'T CATCH MYSELF DRINKING.

I DID DRINK AT A LAST EVENT AND I COULDN'T CATCH THE BUZZ I WAS HOPING FOR.

SO I JUST STOPPED.

THERE WAS NO POINT.

THEY'RE SEEING MY MONEY AND I'M NOT GETTING ANY FEELING OUT OF IT.

AND SO IT'S NOT THE SAME BECAUSE FROM THE SMELL OF A CERTAIN TYPE OF DRINK, I USED TO DRINK JACK AND GINGERS AND I WON'T, I WON'T TOUCH JACK DANIELS.

>>DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE SUFFERING FROM PTSD?

>>AT TIMES.

I MEAN, CERTAIN SOUNDS WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN PUBLIC OR EVEN IN A ROOM.

IT JUST, IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S RIGHT HERE.

IT'S JUST, IT'S A RANDOM TIME.

>>AND IS IT SOMETHING YOU'RE GETTING HELP FOR TO DEAL WITH?

>>I HAVE SOUGHT ASSISTANCE BUT I HAVE STEPPED AWAY.

I STEPPED AWAY FOR A MOMENT, BECAUSE YOU CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT THE SAME THING SO MUCH.

AND WHAT IS THERE TO TALK ABOUT WHEN THEY SAY MOVE ON.

AND IT'S JUST KIND OF CHALLENGING TO MOVE ON.

AND I'VE LEARNED THAT NOW WE'RE MOVING INTO THE NINE MONTHS.

IT'S LIKE A PREGNANCY.

SO WE'VE HAD TO DEVELOP WHAT HAPPENED, WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE.

WHAT'S NEXT?

AND SO, COMING UP ON THE NINE MONTH IT'S LIKE A BIRTH OF A NEW US.

OR AT LEAST A NEW ME.

AND I'M GONNA TRY TO KEEP MYSELF BUT ALSO TRANSFORM INTO SOMEBODY MUCH BETTER THAN WHO I WAS.

>>LIBBY BROWN, I WANT TO TURN TO YOU NOW.

WE'VE JUST HEARD CHRISTOPHER TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE INSIDE PULSE.

TELL US YOUR STORY FROM THE EMERGENCY ROOM.

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE SHOOTING?

>>WELL I WAS ACTUALLY, MY HUSBAND'S A FIREMAN FOR THE CITY OF ORLANDO, SO I WAS IN THE TRAUMA ROOM THAT NIGHT BUT WE WERE KIND OF HAD A LULL SO I WAS GONNA GO EAT.

AND I KEEP MY PHONE IN MY POCKET AND I WAS GONNA GO FIND ONE OF MY CHARGE NURSES TO SAY, "HEY, I'M GONNA GO EAT."

AND SHE'S ONE OF MY FRIENDS.

I WAS JUST GONNA LET HER KNOW.

BUT I GOT A TEXT FROM MY HUSBAND THAT SAID, "YOU GUYS ARE ABOUT TO GET BUSY BECAUSE WE HAVE A CALL GOING OUT FOR MULTIPLE GUNSHOTS COMING FROM THE VICINITY OF PULSE."

AND I DIDN'T EVEN REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW CLOSE THAT WAS.

I WAS JUST LIKE "OH, NO.

I GUESS I'M NOT GOING TO LUNCH."

SO, I WENT AND TOLD MY FRIEND SARAH WHO WAS THE CHARGE NURSE THAT NIGHT.

I SAID, "WE'RE GONNA GET BUSY."

I SAID, "I CAN'T GO TO LUNCH NOW."

I WAS LIKE "BUT WE'LL GO GET READY" OR WHATEVER.

SO, THAT WAS INITIALLY HOW I HEARD ABOUT IT.

>>SO YOU HELPED CARE FOR PATIENTS AS THEY CAME INTO RMC AND AS YOU SAY, PULSE IS REALLY CLOSE.

IT'S JUST YOU KNOW, A MILE FROM THE NIGHT CLUB OR SO.

I'M SORRY, PULSE IS ABOUT A MILE FROM HERE.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST YOU REALIZED JUST HOW BIG THIS EVENT WAS?

>>I GUESS JUST, WE GOT THE FIRST PATIENT AND THEN THEY JUST KEPT COMING AND THE TRAUMA ROOM WAS FULL SO INCREDIBLY QUICKLY.

AND IT WAS JUST WALL TO WALL AND THEN THERE WERE JUST PATIENTS, YOU KNOW, COMING JUST AT SUCH A RAPID SPEED.

I WAS LIKE, THERE IS SOMETHING VERY, VERY WRONG.

>>HOW LONG WERE AND OTHERS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM GRAPPLING WITH THAT RUSH OF THOSE INJURED?

>>I MEAN, WE HAD AN INITIAL, WE GOT 36 PATIENTS IN 36 MINUTES AND THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH THE MOST HEAVY TIME.

THOSE WERE THE MOST CRITICALLY INJURED PATIENTS.

THERE WAS A SECOND WAVE OF PATIENTS AS WELL, BUT THAT INITIAL ONSLAUGHT WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW.

IT SEEMED LIKE A COUPLE HOURS.

I MEAN A COUPLE HOURS?

IT WAS, THAT WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING WAS THAT FIRST INITIAL TIME.

>>AND AT ONE POINT YOU THOUGHT OR IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A SHOOTER AT THE HOSPITAL.

WHAT WAS YOUR RESPONSE WHEN YOU THOUGHT THERE COULD BE A GUNMAN THERE AS WELL?

>>I WAS VERY SCARED.

SO, BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENED WAS I WENT AND HID IN A PATIENT'S ROOM AND I YELLED FOR ONE OF MY FRIENDS WHO WAS DOWN THE HALL, BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HER.

BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, I DIDN'T WANT TO BE BY MYSELF AND SO I WENT INTO A PATIENT'S ROOM AND THEN SHE CAME IN WITH ME.

AND LUCKILY ONE OF OUR OTHER NURSES HAS BEEN IN THE MILITARY FOR A LONG TIME SO WE LOOKED TO HIM.

BECAUSE HE WAS KIND OF STILL OUT MOVING AROUND AFTER EVEN THEY HAD CALLED, YOU KNOW, ACTIVE SHOOTER.

SO WE WERE JUST TRYING TO STAY FOCUSED ON HIM.

STAY DOWN WHEN HE TOLD US, BECAUSE HE WAS WALKING BY THE ROOM AND HE TOLD US TO GET BACK DOWN.

WE WERE TRYING TO GET THE PATIENT TO STAY CALM IN THE ROOM AS WELL.

SO, THAT HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY WOULD BE OKAY.

BUT, YEAH WE HID TOGETHER AND THEN IT WAS KIND OF CRAZY TO SEE ALL THE SWAT PEOPLE RUN PASS HIM.

WE'RE LIKE OH, THIS IS NOT GOOD.

>>I REMEMBER, I WAS ACTUALLY, I WAS GOING TOWARDS TRIAGE TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AND I LOOKED ACROSS.

AND CHRIS, I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

>>YEAH, CHRIS.

>>HE WAS THE ONLY OTHER PERSON STANDING UP.

AND THOUGHT, WELL, THAT MAKES SENSE.

>>JOSH CORSO, YOU HAVE SOME BACKGROUND IN THE MILITARY TOO?

>>YES, SIR.

AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT HELPED YOU UNDERSTAND THE KIND OF TRAUMA YOU WERE DEALING WITH AND THE KIND OF WOUNDS YOU HAD TO OPERATE ON.

>>SO BEING AS BUSY A TRAUMA CENTER AS WE ARE, WE LEARN A LOT OF THE WOUND MANAGEMENT JUST ON A DAY-TO-DAY.

IT'S NOT UNCOMMON, UNFORTUNATELY, TO GET MANY PATIENTS SHOT AT ONCE.

THE MILITARY TRAINING CAME IN HANDY AS FAR AS TRIAGE AND BEING ABLE TO KEEP AS LEVEL HEAD AS POSSIBLE AND BE ABLE TO COORDINATE ALL OF THAT AT ONCE.

AND IT WAS REALLY INVALUABLE TO BE ABLE, AGAIN, TRY AND DECIDE WHO'S THE SICKEST AND BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE LOGISTICS IF YOU WILL AND THE IN AND OUT, AND HELP BE A PART OF THAT.

AND THAT'S WHERE IT WAS REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL.

>>WHAT ABOUT THE TYPE OF WOUNDS YOU WERE SEEING THOUGH?

>>THESE WOUNDS OBVIOUSLY ARE BASICALLY WHAT I SAW IN THE MILITARY.

THESE ARE HIGH ENERGY WOUNDS WITH VERY SMALL ENTRANCE WOUNDS.

THE BULLET'S NOT THAT LARGE.

BUT IT'S TRAVELING ABOUT 4,000 FEET A SECOND.

SO IT CAUSES DEVASTATING INJURIES AND IT'S SUCH CLOSE RANGE.

THESE ARE THINGS I HAVEN'T SEEN SINCE I LEFT THE MILITARY.

>>THIS WAS A VERY LONG SHIFT FOR YOU AND I KNOW THAT-- >>IT WAS.

>>LONG SHIFTS ARE KIND OF YOUR BREAD AND BUTTER.

THAT'S WHAT YOU DO.

BUT HOW DO YOU STAY FOCUSED FOR THAT LONG?

>>YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE.

WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS, I MEAN, YOU'RE AWAKE.

THERE'S, YOU JUST ARE FOCUSED BY NECESSITY.

>>I WONDER IF YOU COULD REMIND US OF YOUR SHOES.

NOW WE'VE ALL SEEN THAT POST YOU MADE ABOUT YOUR SHOES THAT NIGHT.

JUST REMIND US WHY THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT AS A SYMBOL OF WHAT YOU DID ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 12TH.

>>SO A LOT OF IT REALLY DIDN'T HIT ME AT FIRST.

I GOT HOME PROBABLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

I'D BEEN THERE SINCE 4:30, 5:00 SATURDAY MORNING.

AND SO I JUST KIND OF WENT HOME, FELL ASLEEP WITH MY DOG.

CAME BACK MONDAY MORNING TO KIND OF START WORK AGAIN.

AND I SAW THEM IN THE CORNER WITH MY SCRUBS AND EVERYTHING AND A LOT OF IT IS, USUALLY WE GOWN UP.

PUT ALL OF OUR PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT ON, BUT THE PATIENTS CAME SO FAST AND SO QUICK I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE.

AND SO LOOKING AT THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME IT REALLY HIT ME, THE ENORMITY OF IT, AND THE IMMEDIACY AND ALL THESE THINGS THAT I HAD REALLY SHUT OUT FOR THE FIRST DAY.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHY I WROTE WHAT I DID.

>>DO YOU STILL HAVE THOSE SHOES?

>>I DO NOT.

I HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF SHOES.

KEEN SHOES ARE ACTUALLY REALLY COMFORTABLE.

I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GET ANOTHER PAIR OF THE SAME SHOES.

I HAD DONATED THOSE TO THE REGIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM, ACTUALLY.

I'VE GOT ENOUGH REMINDERS.

I DON'T NEED ANY MORE.

SO I THINK IT'S GONNA DO MORE GOOD OVER THERE.

>>CHRISTOPHER HANSEN, I WANT TO COME BACK TO YOU.

AND PART OF THE RESPONSE TO THE PULSE SHOOTING WAS THE ONE ORLANDO FUND.

THERE WERE FOUR CATEGORIES OF RECIPIENTS; FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO DIED, SURVIVORS WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED, SURVIVORS WHO WERE INJURED BUT NOT HOSPITALIZED, AND THEN FOLKS WHO WERE AT THE CLUB DURING THE SHOOTING BUT WEREN'T INJURED.

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THE WAY THAT FUND WAS DEALT WITH AND DISPERSED?

>>THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

APPARENTLY THERE WAS REALLY NOTHING LIKE THIS OR AN ACCOUNT THAT LARGE FOR SOMEONE TO HANDLE.

SO SOMEONE HAD TO STEP IN AND DO IT, AND PUT IT IN CATEGORIZATIONS.

MAYBE MORE HISTORY COULD HAVE BEEN DONE UPON WHO WAS GOING TO RECEIVE WHAT.

OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO THE ANGELS THAT ARE OUT THERE.

BUT THOSE THAT WERE REALLY INJURED SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON A MUCH HIGHER CATEGORY, BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO LIVE FOR THOSE EVERY DAY.

I HAVE FRIENDS THAT HAVE BULLETS STILL IN THEM THAT ARE GONNA FOREVER BE IN THEM.

AND THEY HAVE TO LIVE WITH THAT EVERY DAY.

WHETHER THEY'RE 19 YEARS OLD, 20, 32, THEY COULD LIVE TO BE 80 AND STILL HAVE THAT SAME REMINDER.

AND IT'S GONNA BE A LOT HARDER FOR THEM TO GET THOSE FINANCIAL MEANS AND NECESSITIES.

AND FOR THOSE IN ON OTHER CATEGORIES, THERE'S MENTAL HEALTH.

BUT WITH THE COMMUNITY WORKING SO WELL TOGETHER WE HAVE A LOT OF THAT BENEFICIARIES AVAILABLE TO US.

BUT THEN THERE'S OTHER FAMILIES WHO ARE MISSING OUT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T QUITE HAVE THAT CONNECTION OF THE PAPERWORK THAT SAYS, "HI, I'M MARRIED TO THIS PARTNER."

SO, THEY GET TOTALLY SHUNNED OUT AND RECEIVE NOTHING, EXCEPT FOR WHEN A FRIEND PASSES BY AND SAYS, "HEY, HAVE YOU DONE SUCH AND SUCH?"

AND THEY HAVEN'T.

AND THEY'RE NOT PART OF IT.

BUT THEY WERE A PART OF THEIR PARTNERS LIFE.

WHERE THE PARENTS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CHILD UNTIL THEY RECEIVED A CHECK.

AND, I'M ADDING SOMEBODY WHO'S IN THIS ROOM INTO THAT SCENARIO.

IT'S JUST SAD.

AND, WE'RE THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE HEARTS AND ALL THE LOVE, AND THE SUPPORT THAT CAME IN FOR THAT FUND.

IF IT COULD HAVE STAYED A LITTLE LONGER, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE.

IF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK FOR IT.

AND IT'S LIKE, "OH, YOU LOSE YOU A CHILD.

SO LET'S HELP YOU OUT."

BUT HALF THE PEOPLE WHO LOST, IT'S THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.

WE WEREN'T AS ACCEPTED AS MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK.

>>CHRISTOPHER, THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.

LIBBY BROWN, YOU TOLD THE ORLANDO SENTINEL THAT YOU KNOW WHAT LOVE IS, BECAUSE YOU WERE THERE THAT NIGHT.

I WONDER IF YOU COULD JUST EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT.

>>I THINK THAT THE THING THAT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER ABOUT THINGS IS, BECAUSE IT'S A SAD TOPIC.

YOU KNOW, IT HURTS TO TALK ABOUT IT.

IT'S NOT, IT'S A HORRIBLE THING THAT HAPPENED AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK BACK AND FIND SOME POSITIVITY IN THE SITUATION OR IT'S JUST ALL BAD.

AND I KNOW THAT NO MATTER HOW AWFUL THE SITUATION WAS, IS THAT WE ALL CAME TOGETHER AS A TEAM IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.

AND WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER, AND WE ALL WERE THERE FOR THE PATIENTS.

AND JUST TO SEE HOW GRATEFUL AND LOVING AND AMAZING THAT THESE PATIENTS WERE COMING BACK AND IT WAS SO GOOD TO LIKE, HUG THEM AND LIKE SEE THEY WERE SO THANKFUL.

AND IT JUST MADE ME FEEL SO GOOD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY HELP PEOPLE THAT NEEDED IT.

BECAUSE, IT STILL MAKES ME SAD THAT WE COULDN'T HELP EVERY PERSON.

SO I HAD TO FIND A WAY TO DEAL WITH THAT.

AND THE WAY THAT I HAVE IS THAT WHAT WE DO IS OUT OF LOVE.

AND WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT, I WANT TO SEE A POSITIVE LIGHT TO IT AND I WANT TO SEE THAT WE LOVE OUR PATIENTS.

WE WERE ABLE TO TRULY, ACTUALLY SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND HELP PEOPLE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT.

>>JOSH CORSO, I WANT TO FINISH WITH YOU AND ASK YOU, WHAT'S ONE THING THAT YOU'RE GONNA TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EXPERIENCE WHATEVER HOSPITAL YOU WORK AT NEXT?

>>GOD, NARROW IT DOWN TO ONE THING?

IT'S A LOT OF THE SAME STUFF.

YOU KNOW?

SEEING, I'VE MOVED AROUND A LOT IN MY LIFE AND, SORRY.

IT'S YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER REALLY BEEN PART OF A COMMUNITY BECAUSE I'VE MOVED SO MUCH.

AND TO BE NOT ONLY A PART OF THE TEAM AT THE HOSPITAL AND SEE THE INCREDIBLE CARE THEY GAVE, BUT THE SUPPORT IN THE CITY AND EVERYTHING IS YOU KNOW, MORE THAN I EVER WOULD HAVE EXPECTED AND IT'S BLOWN ME AWAY.

AND I'M CERTAINLY HOPEFUL WHEN I MOVE THAT IT'LL BE ANOTHER CITY AS GOOD AS THIS.

AND IF NOT, I'M GONNA COME BACK.

BUT IF I COULD PICK UP ORLANDO AND BRING IT WITH ME I WOULD.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ASK, WHAT SHOULD CHANGE WITH ORLANDO AFTER THIS?

AND MY ANSWER IS NOT A DARN THING.

IT NEEDS TO STAY EXACTLY LIKE IT IS BECAUSE IT'S FANTASTIC.

>>DR.

JOSH CORSO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>>THANK YOU, SIR.

>>I WANT TO THANK YOU ALSO, NURSE, LIBBY BROWN.

AND CHRISTOPHER HANSEN, THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR STORY AS WELL.

>>THANK YOU.

>>WELCOME BACK TO OUR TOWN HALL, TAKING YOUR PULSE.

WE'RE RECORDING THIS LIVE IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE AT THE ORLANDO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.

WITH ME ON STAGE, ORLANDO POLICE CHIEF, JOHN MINA.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, CHIEF MINA.

>>THANK YOU, GOOD TO BE HERE.

>>ALSO JOINED BY ORLANDO MAYOR, BUDDY DYER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR DYER.

>>SURE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>CHIEF MINA, I WANT TO BEGIN WITH YOU.

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU GOT THE CALL ABOUT PULSE?

>>I WAS SLEEPING IN MY BED AND I GOT A CALL FROM MY DEPUTY CHIEF.

AND HE SAYS, "CHIEF, DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON?"

I SAID, "NO."

AND HE SAID, "WE HAVE A MASS SHOOTING AT THE PULSE NIGHT CLUB."

AND WHEN HE CALLED ME I THOUGHT THAT WAS STRANGE BECAUSE YOU USUALLY, I GET NOTIFIED ALL HOURS OF THE DAY.

BUT USUALLY IT'S BY A LIEUTENANT BY THE WATCH COMMANDER WHO'S WORKING THAT NIGHT, THE HIGHEST RANKING PERSON.

SO I FOUND OUT LATER THAT THE REASON HE DIDN'T CALL WAS BECAUSE HE WAS INSIDE PULSE NIGHT CLUB DEALING WITH THAT SITUATION SHORTLY AFTER THE SHOTS WERE FIRED.

SO, I IMMEDIATELY GOT UP.

SPRANG OUT OF BED AND I TOLD MY DEPUTY CHIEF.

I SAID, "LET'S CALL THE MAYOR RIGHT AWAY AND LET HIM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON" AND HEADED OUT THERE.

AND I THINK MY FIRST THOUGHTS WERE, YOU KNOW, SURELY THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING.

MAYBE IT'S A, WELL WE CALL IT A SWATTING CALL MANY TIMES.

YOU'VE SEEN THE CALLS THROUGHOUT THE NATION.

PEOPLE WILL CALL IN.

SAY, "HEY, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON" AND YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE SWAT TEAM SHOWS UP AND IT TURNS OUT NOTHING.

BUT YOU KNOW, QUICKLY, I ASKED HIM THAT AND HE GOES "NO, NO, NO.

IT'S, WE HAVE MULTIPLE VICTIMS.

IT'S A HOSTAGE SITUATION.

WE HAVE OFFICERS INSIDE THE CLUB."

>>CHIEF MINA, THERE HAVE BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TIMELINE THAT THE THREE HOURS BETWEEN WHEN YOU FIRST FOUND OUT ABOUT IT AND WHEN OFFICERS GOT INTO THE CLUB TO RESCUE THE FOLKS IN THERE AND TAKE OUT THE GUNMAN.

I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD CURATE THE RESPONSE DIFFERENTLY, WOULD YOU DO IT DIFFERENTLY?

>>CERTAINLY.

BECAUSE REALLY EARLY ON WE KNEW IT WAS A TERRORIST TYPE SITUATION.

THE FBI WAS GONNA BE THE LEAD INVESTIGATIVE AGENCY.

THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE COULDN'T SAY AND SO EARLY ON THERE WAS SORT OF THIS FALSE NARRATIVE THAT OUR OFFICERS DIDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR THREE HOURS AND THAT IS THE FURTHEST THING FROM THE TRUTH.

OUR OFFICERS, SO WE BASICALLY PLEAD WITH THE FBI.

WE'RE LIKE, "HEY, WE NEED TO GET OUR MESSAGE OUT."

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION.

I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE RESPONSE.

SO WE DID THAT AND THROUGH BODY CAM VIDEO AND COMMUNICATIONS AND OFFICER TESTIMONY, WE KNOW THAT OFFICERS WERE INSIDE THAT CLUB WITHIN MINUTES OF THE FIRST SHOTS BEING FIRED.

WHICH CAUSED THE SUSPECT TO BASICALLY RETREAT INTO THE BATHROOMS.

AND AFTER THOSE INITIAL GUN FIRE EXCHANGES, WITH THE SUSPECT BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT OFFICERS, ALL THE SHOOTING STOPPED AND WHAT WE HAD THERE WAS A BARRICADED PERSON WHO HAD HOSTAGES.

WHO HAD CLAIMED ALLEGIANCE TO ISIS, WHO ALSO CLAIMED TO HAVE EXPLOSIVES.

SO OUR DILEMMA WAS, AND SO DURING THAT TIME WE ALSO FOUND OUT THAT HE, THE VEHICLE THAT HE DROVE THERE, TWO DIFFERENT DOGS, CANINES ARE TRAINED IN DETECTION OF EXPLOSIVES HAVE MADE A POSITIVE INDICATION FOR EXPLOSIVES ON HIS VEHICLE.

SO OUR CONCERN WAS DOING OR SAYING SOMETHING THAT WOULD CAUSE THE SUSPECT TO BASICALLY DETONATE THE ENTIRE PLACE AND KILL ALL THE HOSTAGES.

>>BUT NO EXPLOSIVES WERE ACTUALLY FOUND IN THE VEHICLE?

>>SO YEAH, THERE WERE NO EXPLOSIVES EVER FOUND AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT I HAVE SAID THIS MANY, MANY TIMES.

VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF NOT ONLY THE ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT BUT ALL OF THE SURROUNDING AGENCIES THAT HELPED OUT.

THE ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE FBI, THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.

ACTUALLY 27 DIFFERENT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES SHOWED UP THAT NIGHT.

WHEN I SHOWED UP THERE IT WAS A MASSIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE RESCUE RESPONSE.

YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE FIRST MINUTES THERE WERE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF OFFICERS THERE.

SO IT WAS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT OUR OFFICERS WERE INSIDE THAT CLUB.

THEY WERE DOING THINGS.

THEY WERE SAVING PEOPLE OUT OF DIFFERENT OFFICES AND BATHROOMS FROM WITHIN, INSIDE THE CLUB.

AND IT DID GET TO A POINT WHERE THEY KNEW THE SUSPECT WAS BARRICADED HOLDING HOSTAGES IN A VERY CONTAINED LOCATION.

THE BATHROOM THAT HE WAS IN IS 140 SQUARE FEET.

IN THE PULSE NIGHT CLUB, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IT'S VERY SMALL.

I THINK WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT MASS SHOOTINGS AND ACTIVE SHOOTER TYPE SITUATIONS THEY THINK ABOUT IT'S A BIG MALL, IT'S A BIG SCHOOL.

BUT THIS VERY TIGHT, CLOSE QUARTERS.

VERY, VERY DANGEROUS.

NOT ONLY FOR, OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE IN THERE BUT FOR THE OFFICERS RESPONSE.

BUT AGAIN, THERE ARE MANY, MANY ACTS OF BRAVERY AND COURAGE AND OFFICERS REALLY RISKING THEIR LIVES FOR COMPLETE STRANGERS.

ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST PROUD OF IS, YOU KNOW, THOSE OFFICERS, THEY DIDN'T CARE WHAT COLOR OF THE SKIN THOSE PEOPLE WERE.

THEY DIDN'T CARE WHAT GENDER THEY WERE.

THEY DIDN'T CARE WHAT SEXUAL ORIENTATION THEY WERE.

THEY JUST RAN INTO THAT BUILDING, SMALLER PROBABLY THAN THIS ROOM HEARING THE SOUND OF GUNFIRE, KNOWING THAT SOMEONE WAS IN THERE WITH A HIGH POWER RIFLE, ACTIVELY SHOOTING.

AND THEY STILL WENT IN THERE TO HELP SAVE THOSE PEOPLE.

>>HAS THERE BEEN A CHANGE IN THE WAY OPD HANDLES OR WOULD RESPOND TO A MASS SHOOTING IN THE AFTERMATH OF PULSE?

>>THE ONLY CHANGES THAT WE HAVE MADE HAVE BEEN ADDED EQUIPMENT.

SO IN OTHER WORDS, ALL OF OUR OFFICERS HAVE BODY ARMOR, BUT THIS BODY ARMOR THAT OFFICERS WEAR ON THE STREET WILL NOT PROTECT THEM FROM A HIGH POWER RIFLE SUCH AS, THE SHOOTER WAS CARRYING AND USING THAT NIGHT.

SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE'VE SUPPLIED ADDITIONAL BODY ARMOR.

THEY'RE CALLED PLATE CARRIERS THAT WILL STOP A HIGH POWER RIFLE ROUND, IN ADDITION IF YOU'VE ADDED KEVLAR HELMETS.

OUR STANDARD, THE ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING THAT WE DO, THE HOSTAGE BARRICADE TRAINING WE DO, STANDARD PRACTICE THROUGHOUT THE NATION.

I'VE DONE MULTIPLE PRESENTATIONS TO THE TACTICAL COMMUNITY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY.

AND THEY ASKED THOSE TYPE--WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?

THERE'S CERTAIN TACTICAL THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY.

BUT OVERALL, THE RESPONSE WAS QUICK AND IT WAS COURAGEOUS.

>>MAYOR DYER, YOU'VE TALKED TO THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS ABOUT HOW ORLANDO RESPONDED TO THE SHOOTING.

I'M WONDERING IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE BECOME A RESOURCE FOR HOW CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES, AND CIVIC LEADERS HAVE TO DEAL WITH A TRAGEDY ON THE SCALE?

>>I SUPPOSE UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE BECOME.

I'M ROUTINELY, LIKE THE CHIEF AND MANY OF THE OTHER PERSONNEL FROM THE CITY OF ORLANDO, ARE ASKED TO SPEAK AT A WHOLE VARIETY OF CONFERENCES OR SYMPOSIUMS OR THINK-TANK TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES.

AND IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE I GET ASKED TO SPEAK AT CRISIS MANAGEMENT, TERRORISM TYPE OF EVENTS, OR LGBTQ EVENTS.

AND THE ONLY PLACE THOSE INTERSECT REALLY ARE AT THE PULSE NIGHT CLUB.

I SPOKE AT U.S.

CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, AS YOU REFERENCED, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER THE PULSE EVENT.

AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING NATIONALLY YOU HAVE TO REFER TO IT AS A NIGHT CLUB EVENT IN ORLANDO, BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE IT AS PULSE.

BUT THEY REALLY DON'T REALLY RECOGNIZE THAT NATIONALLY.

BUT, I HAD RECEIVED PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR HUNDRED EITHER EMAILS, TEXT MESSAGES, VOICE MESSAGES FROM MAYORS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

AND DURING THE COURSE OF THE FIRST TWO WEEKS I DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO ANY OF THEM, EXCEPT ONE.

I RESPONDED TO RUDY GIULIANI.

BECAUSE I THOUGHT IF THERE WAS ANYBODY THAT COULD GIVE ME A LITTLE BIT OF ADVICE ON HOW TO HANDLE THE SITUATION, IT WOULD PROBABLY BY RUDY GIULIANI.

AND WHEN I GOT TO U.S.

CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, I WAS ABLE TO THANK ALL OF THE OTHER MAYORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT.

AND EVERY ONE OF THEM THAT WAS THERE CAME UP AND HAD A SCREEN SHOT OF A VIGIL THEY HAD, HAD IN THEIR CITY, OR THEIR CITY HALL LIT UP IN RAINBOW COLORS, OR SOME ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES.

SO, DALLAS HAPPENED I THINK WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF PULSE.

AND I TEXTED MAYOR ROLLINS, WHO'S A FRIEND OF MINE THAT NIGHT, OR THAT MORNING WHEN I GOT UP AND SAW WHAT WAS OCCURRING IN DALLAS, AND SAID BASICALLY, "MAYOR, OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOUR OFFICERS, THEIR FAMILY, ORLANDO STANDS UNITED WITH YOU.

LET US KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING AT ALL THAT WE COULD DO FOR YOU."

AND HE TEXTED BACK WITHIN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AND HE SAID, "YOU ALREADY DID.

I USED ALL THE TIPS THAT YOU GAVE US AT U.S.

CONFERENCE OF MAYORS ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT TONIGHT."

SO, THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT REWARDING TO ME THAT I HAD BEEN ABLE TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION WITH OTHER MAYORS AND LEADERS.

BECAUSE AS A MAYOR, YOU NEVER WANT TO GET THE CALL THAT THE CHIEF GOT AND THAT I GOT THAT NIGHT.

>>AND WHAT DO YOU TELL MAYORS AND OTHER CIVIC LEADERS WHO REACH OUT TO YOU OR HAVE REACHED OUT TO YOU SINCE?

>>WELL, I TELL THEM THAT NUMBER ONE, THE COMMUNICATION PART IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AND WHEN I WAS GOING TO THE SCENE, I WENT ABOUT 3:30 PROBABLY.

CHIEF HAD ALREADY BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE.

AND WHILE I WAS GOING THERE, I WAS THINKING ON THE WAY, I'VE NEVER BEEN IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS.

AND ACTUALLY, BEFORE WE GOT THERE, WE HAD NO IDEA OF WHAT JUST WAS ACTUALLY OCCURRING.

I KNEW THERE WAS A SHOOTING AT THE PULSE NIGHT CLUB THAT HAD MULTIPLE CASUALTIES THAT HAVE TURNED INTO A HOSTAGE SITUATION.

BUT HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS REALLY OCCURRING.

BUT ON THE WAY THERE, I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT IS MY ROLE AS THE MAYOR?

AND I CONCLUDED MY ROLE WAS NUMBER ONE, TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY AND NOT INTERFERE WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE.

NUMBER TWO, TO MAKE SURE THAT I DIDN'T UNDERMINE IN ANY WAY THE CHIEF'S AUTHORITY, AND TO SUPPORT HIS DECISION MAKING.

BECAUSE DURING THE COURSE OF THE EVENT, CHIEF MINA WAS THE PRIMARY DECISION MAKER.

HE WAS SUPPORTED BY A NUMBER OF SHERIFFS, THE FDLE WAS THERE, THE FBI.

BUT ULTIMATELY, WHATEVER TACTICAL DECISIONS WERE GONNA BE MADE, THE CHIEF WAS GONNA MAKE THOSE.

AND THEN MY PRIMARY ROLE WAS GONNA BE AFTER THE FACT IN COMMUNICATING TO THE PUBLIC WHAT HAD OCCURRED.

AND WE PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THAT.

AND WE DIDN'T HAVE NECESSARILY A WHOLE LOT OF TRAINING IN THAT REGARD.

BUT WE DID KNOW INTUITIVELY THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAD THE SITUATION UNDER CONTROL.

WE NEED TO TELL THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THEN WE NEEDED TO CALM THEM AS MUCH AS WE COULD.

AND I THINK WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT.

AND I'VE BEEN TOLD BY OTHER PEOPLE THAT DEAL IN TERRORISM, I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT TERRORISM SINCE THE 12TH THAT I DID NOT KNOW.

BUT THEY SAID, ORDINARILY, THE WAY COMMUNITIES RESPOND TO TERRORIST ACTS ARE EITHER WITH IMMEDIATE FEAR BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, OR HATRED AND ANGER TOWARDS THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COMMITTED THE ACT.

AND INSTEAD, OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO WAS ABLE TO RESPOND WITH LOVE AND COMPASSION, AND UNITY TOWARDS EACH OTHER.

>>CHIEF MINA, I WANT TO COME BACK TO YOU AND ASK YOU ABOUT PTSD.

NOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TALK ABOUT AS ONE OF THE AFFECTS ON SURVIVORS OF A MASS SHOOTING, LIKE WHAT HAPPENED AT PULSE.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR STAFF?

HOW ARE THEY DOING?

>>WELL SOME ARE DOING BETTER THAN OTHERS.

BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM KNOW THIS ALL TOO WELL, THAT NOTHING COULD HAVE PREPARED THEM FOR THAT NIGHT AND WHAT THEY SAW.

WE HAVE OFFICERS BOTH OFFICERS IN PATROL AND OFFICERS, SWAT OFFICERS THAT HAD BEEN TO IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, SILVER STAR RECIPIENTS, PURPLE HEART AWARDS.

AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT AND BEEN IN COMBAT OVER IN THE MIDDLE-EAST.

AND SO OBVIOUSLY, WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO PREPARE OFFICERS FOR WHAT THEY SAW.

SO WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO US AFTERWARDS IN SPEAKING TO OTHER AGENCIES IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO MULTIPLE DEBRIEFINGS AND PROVIDE AS MUCH COUNSELING AS POSSIBLE.

AND WE DID THAT.

THE GREAT THING, AGAIN, ABOUT THE ORLANDO COMMUNITY, WE HAD LOTS OF HELP.

EVERYONE FROM UCF TO THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY WHO WAS OFFERING COUNSELING FOR FREE.

AND SO WE CONTINUED TO DO THAT.

AND WE ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REVISIT IT WITH ALL OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHO WERE THERE THAT NIGHT AND DEBRIEF AGAIN AT THE SIX MONTH MARK, WHICH WE DID.

AND WE ALSO DO THAT SHORTLY BEFORE THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY.

AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO CHIEF KEHOE FROM NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT, AND ALSO CHIEF DAN OATES, HE'S THE FORMER CHIEF OF AURORA POLICE.

SO THEY ALSO DEALT WITH MASS SHOOTINGS.

SO SHORTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT THEY WERE GENEROUS ENOUGH TO COME DOWN AND SHARE SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES WITH US AND KIND OF EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW.

AND THEY SAID, "YOU'RE DOING EXACTLY.

YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT, JOHN."

THIS IS ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONCERNED ME IS THEY TOLD ME THAT "WELL, YOU'RE GONNA BE DEALING WITH THIS FOR YEARS TO COME."

AND SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT IN OUR SYSTEM, OUR EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT OFFICERS CAN REACH OUT AND GET ANONYMOUS COUNSELING.

BECAUSE SOME OFFICERS, THEY ARE A LITTLE LEARY OF COMING FORWARD AND LETTING THEIR SUPERVISORS KNOW THAT THEY'RE AFFECTED BY THIS.

AND SOME AREN'T.

AND SOME HAVE COME FORWARD AND SAID, I JUST CAN'T WORK.

WE HAVE ONE OFFICER WHO'S BEEN OUT THIS ENTIRE TIME AND HASN'T COME BACK.

WE'VE HAD SOME OFFICERS INTERMITTENTLY SAY, "HEY, I JUST NEED A BREAK."

WE ACTUALLY SENT ONE OF THE VERY FIRST RESPONDERS TO A RETREAT IN TAMPA.

SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT DIFFERENT THINGS TO DEAL WITH THIS.

BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA DEAL WITH FOR YEARS.

>>WHAT ABOUT YOU?

HOW ARE YOU DOING?

>>I'M DOING GOOD.

THANK YOU FOR ASKING.

I THINK, OBVIOUSLY GREAT SUPPORT FROM THE MAYOR, FROM THE ENTIRE CITY FAMILY.

ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, OUT OF TRAGEDY AND WE'VE HAD A COUPLE TRAGEDIES HERE IN ORLANDO OVER THE PAST NINE OR TEN MONTHS IS SOMETIMES A LOT OF GOOD COMES OUT OF THESE TRAGEDIES AND WE REALLY FEEL THE UNITY AND THE SUPPORT.

OUR OFFICERS CAN'T WALK DOWN THE STREET WITHOUT CITIZENS COMING UP TO THEM AND THANKING THEM AND SHAKING THEIR HANDS.

SO THAT, I'M JUST OVER JOYED BY THAT BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT OUR NATION, PROBABLY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS THERE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THAT FROM EVERYBODY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

BUT NOT HERE IN ORLANDO.

ORLANDO, ONCE AGAIN, HAS PROVEN THAT WE DO THINGS RIGHT.

>>MAYOR DYER, I WANT TO JUST FINISH WITH YOU AND ASK YOU, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE PULSE SHOOTING, THE TRAGEDY AT PULSE HAS CHANGED YOU PERSONALLY?

>>YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO SAY THAT IT HAS NOT.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT HASN'T BEEN CHANGED IN SOME RESPECT.

I WILL TELL YOU THIS THOUGH, WHEN WE DID OUR FIRST COUNSELING SESSIONS WITH MY IMMEDIATE STAFF AND SO MANY OF THE FOLKS IN CITY HALL, AND ESPECIALLY FROM THE THIRD FLOOR, THE EXECUTIVE STAFF, ENDED UP MANNING THE VICTIM ASSISTANCE CENTER.

AND THEY HAD NO TRAINING IN THAT.

THEY WERE THERE FOR WEEKS.

SO WE, THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE BESIDES THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO ALSO NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE OKAY AFTER THEY WERE DEALING DIRECTLY WITH FAMILIES AND VICTIMS FOR SO MANY, SO MANY DAYS.

AND WE WERE IN ONE OF THE POST COUNSELING SESSIONS AND I TOLD THEM THAT A FRIEND OF MINE WHO IS A COUNSELOR HAD CALLED ME.

I GUESS MAYBE FRIDAY OR SO OF THAT FIRST WEEK AND SAID, "HOW ARE YOU DOING?"

AND I SAID, "YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THIS, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE EMOTION THAT I THINK I SHOULD HAVE."

AND SHE TOLD ME THAT "YOU CAN'T HAVE.

YOU'RE LEADING RIGHT NOW.

AND IF YOU LET YOUR EMOTIONS GET THE BEST OF YOU, IT WON'T BE GOOD FOR ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY."

AND I CONVEYED THAT TO MY STAFF.

AND THEY SAID, "THANK YOU, MAYOR.

BECAUSE WE FEEL THE SAME WAY.

WE'VE BEEN DOING OUR JOB FOR TWO WEEKS AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REFLECT ON WHAT'S HAPPENING."

SO I THINK OVER THE COURSE OF TIME I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REFLECT ON THAT.

BUT I DON'T THINK THIS IS A CHANGE IN ME.

BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS TODAY ON THIS NINE MONTHS LATER, I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW ORLANDO AND ALL THE CITIZENS IN ORLANDO RESPONDED.

WE TALKED ABOUT LOVE AND UNITY AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE HAS CHANGED IN THAT REGARD.

YOU'VE SEEN PEOPLE THAT ARE NOW MORE WILLING TO ACCEPT PEOPLE FOR WHO THEY ARE AND NOT JUDGE THEM ON THEIR LIFESTYLE AND THEIR RELIGIOUS BASIS OR ANYTHING ELSE.

AND THE OTHER THING I'M PROUD ABOUT IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE DIDN'T REFLECTIVELY REACT NEGATIVELY TOWARDS THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY.

WE ACCEPTED THAT IT WAS A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL THAT DOES NOT REPRESENT THAT RELIGION, THAT ACTED ALONE.

AND WE CONTINUE TO EMBRACE THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY AS WELL.

>>ORLANDO MAYOR, BUDDY DYER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>>THANK YOU.

>>AND THANK YOU, CHIEF MINA.

>>THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE] >>SO WE DO HAVE A LITTLE TIME FOR QUESTIONS IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTION OR WOULD LIKE TO STEP FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE.

>>UNFORTUNATELY, ORLANDO IS THE PLACE WHERE THE WORST MASS SHOOTING IN AMERICAN, MODERN AMERICAN HISTORY HAS TAKEN PLACE.

AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE CITY OF ORLANDO IS DOING TOWARDS ANY TYPE OF GUN CONTROL.

>>STATE OF FLORIDA REGULATES ANY TYPE OF GUN LEGISLATION AND ACTUALLY SEVERAL YEARS AGO PASSED A LAW THAT SAID A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CANNOT IN ANY FASHION PASS AN ORDINANCE OR STATUE THAT WOULD REGULATE GUNS IN ANY WAY.

AND ACTUALLY SUBJECTS ELECTED OFFICIALS TO POTENTIAL MONETARY PENALTIES, AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY BEING REMOVED FROM OFFICE IF WE ATTEMPT TO PASS ANY LAWS RELATED TO GUN CONTROL.

AND WE HAD TO TAKE WHAT SENSIBLE GUN LEGISLATION WE HAD, SUCH AS; YOU CAN'T BRING A FIRE ARM INTO CITY HALL.

YOU CAN'T DISCHARGE A FIREARM IN A CITY PARK.

WE HAD TO TAKE THOSE OFF THE BOOKS.

SO ANY LEGISLATION THAT IS GONNA EFFECT GUNS IS EITHER GONNA COME AT THE STATE LEVEL OR THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

>>MY QUESTION IS, WITH A LOT OF CASES AROUND THE NATION OF UNDOCUMENTED LGBT PEOPLE BEING DETAINED AND DEPORTED WHILE TRYING TO SEEK REFUGE.

I WAS WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY CONVERSATION OF HOW TO KEEP UNDOCUMENTED LGBT PEOPLE SAFE WITHOUT THEM BEING DEPORTED BACK TO THEIR COUNTRIES WHERE THEY MIGHT BE KILLED BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE?

>>THE ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE DON'T GET INVOLVED IN IMMIGRATION OR DETAINING SOMEONE OR DEPORTING SOMEONE.

SO, ANY PERSON WHOEVER THEY ARE, SHOULD NOT FEAR BEING DETAINED OR DEPORTED IF THEY NEED HELP FROM THE ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THAT'S NOT OUR JOB.

THAT'S NOT OUR ROLE.

WE ARE HERE TO ENFORCE STATE AND LOCAL LAWS AND WE DON'T, THE ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY OF ORLANDO DOES NOT ENFORCE ANY FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS.

>>WELCOME BACK TO OUR TOWN HALL, TAKING YOUR PULSE.

WITH ME ON STAGE, CHRISTOPHER CUEVAS.

HE'S THE FOUNDER OF QLATINX.

IT'S AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE ADVANCEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT OF ORLANDO'S LGBTQ AND LATINX COMMUNITY.

CHRISTOPHER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>>THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>>AND WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY TERRY DECARLO.

HE'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GLBT CENTER OF CENTRAL FLORIDA.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, TERRY.

>>THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>>CHRISTOPHER, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

WHAT WAS THE INITIAL REACTION FROM THE LATINO LGBT COMMUNITY AS THE DETAILS STARTED TO EMERGE ABOUT THE SHOOTING OF THE NIGHT CLUB?

>>WELL, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE ARE DIVERSE.

AND IN OUR DIVERSITY WE HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF RESPONDING TO TRAUMA.

BUT I CAN SPEAK TO HOW OUR IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER.

HOW OUR CIRCLE HAPPENED.

FOLLOWING THE NEWS BREAKING AND FOLLOWING THE TRAGEDY, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY FELT DISPLACED.

THEY FELT BROKEN AND THEY NEEDED TO BE IN COMMUNITY TO HEAL.

AND THE BIGGEST ABSENCE WAS COMMUNITY FOR LGBTQ PEOPLE OF COLOR HERE.

THERE WAS NEVER A SPACE WHERE THEY COULD CALL THEIR OWN.

THERE WAS NOTHING, THERE WAS NOTHING OTHER THAN PULSE THAT THEY FELT CONNECTED TO.

AND WITH THAT SACRED SPACE GONE, THERE WAS A NEED TO BE TOGETHER.

AND THERE WAS A NEED TO FEEL WHOLE AGAIN.

THERE WAS A NEED TO FIND SOME GROUNDING.

>>AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE QLATINX EMERGED FROM?

>>WELL WE STARTED AS A CIRCLE OF STRANGERS COMING TOGETHER TO SHARE STORIES OF GRIEF AND OF SORROW, AND OF HEARTACHE.

AND TO RECOUNT MEMORIES OF JOY AND TO BE TOGETHER TO SHOW RESISTANCE IN THE FACE OF SUCH GREAT ADVERSITY.

AND IT STARTED AS A CIRCLE OF STRANGERS.

AND CONTINUING TO MEET, CONTINUING TO HEAL BECAUSE WE KNEW EACH OTHER.

THOUGH WE DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER'S HISTORIES, WE KNEW EACH OTHER.

WE KNEW OUR LANGUAGE.

WE KNOW OUR CULTURE.

WE HAD SIMILAR LIVED EXPERIENCES.

AND WE HONORED THAT.

WE DIDN'T NEED TO EXPLAIN THAT AGAIN AND AGAIN.

WE INNATELY KNEW EACH OTHER.

WE CONNECTED OUR SOULS.

AND AS THE CITY RESPONDED AND AS THE NON-PROFIT SECTOR RESPONDED, THERE WERE GAPS.

AND THEN THROUGH THOSE GAPS WE RECOGNIZED THAT NOT ONLY WERE WE A CIRCLE OF STRANGERS COMING TOGETHER BUT WE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING TO SUPPORT OUR WOUNDED COMMUNITY TO HELP CREATE A PATH FOR HEALING FOR SO MANY WHO FELT THAT DISPLACEMENT.

>>SO HOW DOES IT FEEL NOW NINE MONTHS ON THAT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE SENSE OF DISPLACEMENT, HAS SOME OF THAT KIND OF COME BACK TOGETHER?

>>WE ARE STILL, WE ARE STILL WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE THAT PATH AND TO CREATE UNITY.

WE CAN'T UNRAVEL HISTORY.

WE HAVE TO TAKE WHAT WE HAD AND WE HAVE TO BUILD OFF OF THAT AND THAT TAKES A LONG TIME.

AND THAT TAKES THE COLLECTIVE EFFORT OF ALL OF THE VOICES IN OUR COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER AND SAYING "I WANT THIS AND I NEED THIS."

AND IT TAKES INCREDIBLE PEOPLE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.

>>I WANT TO ASK ABOUT ONE ASPECT OF THIS AND FOR SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE AT THE NIGHT CLUB ON JUNE 12TH LAST YEAR, THIS WAS HOW FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE LGBT.

I WONDER IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT ASPECT OF THIS TRAGEDY.

>>IT'S DIFFICULT.

IT'S EARTH SHATTERING FOR SOME PEOPLE.

COMING OUT AS LGBTQ+ IS TERRIFYING FOR ANYONE.

AND FOR YOUR FAMILY TO HEAR THAT NEWS IS UNDOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE KNOWN ABOUT YOU.

THIS CHILD THAT THEY'VE CARED FOR ALL OF THEIR LIVES AND FOR THIS NEWS TO BREAK AS A RESULT OF THIS TRAGEDY, COMPOUNDING THAT GRIEF, THAT LOSS OF THIS IMAGE OF A PERSON THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY KNEW WITH THE ACTUAL LOSS OF THAT PERSON IS EARTH SHATTERING.

AND SO IT TAKES SUCH STRENGTH TO PIECE THAT BACK TOGETHER.

>>TERRY DECARLO, WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP HAS THE LGBT COMMUNITY FORGED WITH ITS LATINO LGBTQ?

>>WHAT WE FOUND, AND CHRISTOPHER AND I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS ON THIS, PRIOR TO JUNE 12TH, WE, THE CENTER, WAS THE CENTER.

AND WE THOUGHT WE WERE DOING A GOOD JOB AND WE WERE THERE FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

AND WE WERE, EVERYBODY COULD COME IN.

AND PULSE HAPPENED AND WE REALIZED THAT WE WEREN'T DOING AS GOOD A JOB AS WE THOUGHT WE WERE.

BECAUSE THERE WAS A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE WEREN'T SPECIFICALLY REACHING OUT TO.

SO WE'RE CHANGING.

WE'RE LEARNING IN THE NINE MONTHS SINCE THIS TRAGEDY.

WE'RE LEARNING EVERY SINGLE DAY NEW THINGS.

AND CHANGING AND WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THIS AMAZING ORGANIZATION THAT'S POPPED UP.

I MEAN IT'S JUST, IT'S AN AMAZING THING WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHAT THEY'RE BUILDING.

AND WE WANT TO BE THERE AND HAVE THEM HELP US GET BETTER AT WHAT WE DO.

>>NOW THE CENTER HAS BEEN SERVING AS A HUB FOR SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

WHAT ARE YOU SEEING ON THE FRONT LINES AS FAR AS PTSD, THAT KIND OF THING?

>>IT CHANGES DAILY.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY IT'S NINE MONTHS AND OH, PEOPLE ARE GETTING BETTER.

BUT, IT HASN'T BEEN A YEAR YET.

WE JUST WENT THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS AND THERE WAS THAT EMPTY CHAIR AT TABLES.

THERE WAS, THERE ARE BIRTHDAYS, ANNIVERSARIES.

THERE'S SPECIAL MOMENTS IN PEOPLE'S LIVES THAT THEY COMMEMORATE ON A CERTAIN DAY AND SO, IT'S STILL ROUGH AS WE HEARD.

PEOPLE ARE STILL GOING THROUGH A LOT.

IT'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE.

BUT JUST WE AT THE CENTER, ONE THING WE DID DO IS WE BROUGHT IN COUNSELORS THAT ARE NOW AT THE CENTER EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.

IF YOU'RE FEELING DOWN, IF YOU'RE HURTING.

IF IT HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THOSE MEMORABLE MOMENTS AND YOU JUST FEEL YOU NEED TO JUST WALK IN THE DOOR AND SAY, "I NEED TO SPEAK TO SOMEBODY."

AND SOMEBODY WILL BE THERE.

WE JUST, THAT'S ONE THING WE NEEDED TO MAKE HAPPEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

>>IT'S A LONG ROAD AHEAD THOUGH.

SO, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE PREPARED FOR HELPING PEOPLE DEAL WITH WHAT THEY NEED TO DEAL WITH IN YEARS AHEAD?

>>WELL LIKE I KEEP SAYING, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THE TIME WE'RE GOING TO NEED THE COUNSELING FOR.

IT COULD BE THREE YEARS.

IT COULD BE FIVE YEARS.

IT COULD BE TEN YEARS.

IT COULD BE 20 YEARS.

AND ONE THING THAT WE FEEL WE NEED TO DO AND WE ARE DOING IS GOING OUT AND LOOKING FOR GRANTS AND WORKING WITH THE OTHER AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS COUNSELING IS IN PLACE FOR AS LONG AS IT IS NEEDED WITHOUT SOMEBODY, ONE OF THE SURVIVORS OR ONE OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS BEING CHARGED FOR IT.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S THERE FOR THEM.

SO, ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE COUNTRY HAS MOVED ON AND SAID, "OH, YEAH, PULSE.

YEAH THAT WAS NINE MONTHS AGO."

IT'S STILL FRESH IN PEOPLE'S MINDS AND IT WILL BE FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.

AND PEOPLE WILL BE DEALING WITH THIS.

AND WE AS A COMMUNITY NEED TO BE THERE FOR THEM.

>>CHRISTOPHER, I WANT TO COME BACK TO YOU AND ASK ABOUT SOMETHING KIND OF PICKING UP ON WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE MAYOR AND THE CHIEF OF POLICE.

AND COMMUNICATION NOW, A LOT OF THE NEWS WE HEARD WAS IN ENGLISH.

DID YOU HEAR THAT THERE WAS A LANGUAGE BARRIER AT ALL FOR SOME OF THE FAMILIES OF VICTIMS?

>>ABSOLUTELY.

BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED ON NOCHE LATINA THERE WAS NEED FOR COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA TO SPEAK TO A COMMUNITY WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE MAY NOT BE ENGLISH.

AND IMMEDIATELY THAT WASN'T ACCESSIBLE.

AND MANY OF THE SERVICES WEREN'T IMMEDIATELY ACCESSIBLE IN SPANISH EITHER.

AND THEN WHEN THEY WERE, THE PROVIDERS AND THE SYSTEMS DIDN'T EXUDE CULTURAL HUMILITY AND UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THESE PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SERVING, WHO ARE GRIEVING.

AND SO, IT WAS HARD TO HAVE PEOPLE NOT KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING OR HAVE THAT SECOND-HAND KNOWLEDGE BEING PASSED ON AND BROKEN TRANSLATIONS.

AND SO IT JUST SHOWED THAT THERE WERE THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMUNITY GOT THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEEDED.

>>DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE'S BEEN SOME PROGRESS MADE IN THE MONTHS SINCE TO TRY AND BRIDGE SOME OF THOSE COMMUNICATION GAPS?

>>THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS AND PROGRESS NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BE MADE.

THERE ARE SO MANY STRIDES THAT NEED TO BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT THE LGBTQ, LATINX COMMUNITY, AND ALL LGBTQ COMMUNITIES OF COLOR FEEL INCLUDED, FEEL HEARD.

BECAUSE THESE ARE VOICES THAT ARE RINGING IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT OFTEN GO TO THE WAYSIDE.

AND THESE ARE HUNDREDS OF VOICES, THOUSANDS THAT NEED TO BE ECHOED FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOPS.

AND THEY NEED TO BE UPLIFTED IN THE MOST AUTHENTIC WAY AND HONORED.

>>ARE THERE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS KIND OF SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE IN ORLANDO?

WERE THERE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU COULD REACH OUT TO AND GET ADVICE FROM, OR DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE CREATING THIS FROM SCRATCH FROM THE GROUND UP?

>>NATIONALLY THERE ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE LGBTQ IDENTIFYING PEOPLE OF COLOR.

AND IN THE AFTERMATH WE WERE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT DO THAT WORK.

BUT NONE HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

AND SO, WE WERE IN A SENSE KIND OF FIGURING THIS OUT ON OUR OWN.

HOW TO CREATE COMMUNITY, HOW TO FOSTER HEALING IN AN ALTERNATIVE WAY AND HONOR THE VOICES OF THE PEOPLE THAT CAME TO US NEEDING SUPPORT.

>>AND YOUR ORGANIZATION DOES A LOT.

YOU ALSO FOCUS ON IMMIGRATION HOUSING ISSUES.

YOU'VE GOT A LOT ON YOUR PLATE.

ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO TOO IF YOU HAD THE RESOURCES TO DO SO?

>>WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE EXISTING INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE HERE THAT ARE DOING THE INCREDIBLE WORK OF SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE THAT BRIDGE BETWEEN THIS PARTICULAR LGBTQ IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY, THIS LATINX COMMUNITY AND JUST UPLIFT OUR COMMUNITY AND UPLIFT THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN ORLANDO.

THAT HAS ALWAYS HAPPENED BUT ENSURING THAT QUEER AND TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE OF COLOR CAN BE INCLUDED AND CAN BE HEARD AND CAN BE LEADERS.

>>TERRY, WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE CENTER?

>>THE CENTER IS GROWING AND I KEEP SAYING IT'S LIKE ON A HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE AND THE HORSES ARE RUNNING AND RUNNING AND YOU'RE HOLDING THE REINS AND YOU'RE PULLING AND THEY JUST KEEP RUNNING.

SO WHAT WE HAD DECIDED WITH OUR BOARD IS TO LET IT RUN BUT WE'RE GONNA DIRECT IT.

OUR NEW BUILDING OPENS WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

THE BUILDING WE'RE IN NOW WILL GO UNDER RENOVATION AND WE'LL CONNECT THE TWO.

SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING DOUBLE THE SIZE OF WHAT WE ORIGINALLY HAD, ADDING MORE PROGRAMS, ADDING MORE LATIN SPECIFIC PROGRAMS, ADDING PEOPLE OF COLOR PROGRAMS.

GROWING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAN WE WERE BEFORE JUNE 12TH.

SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US.

>>AND HAVE YOU INCREASED THE STAFF SIZE AS WELL?

>>I HAVE.

I HAVE GONE WHERE WE WERE, THREE AND-A-HALF PEOPLE BEFORE PULSE.

I'M NOW UP TO FIVE AND I'M ACTUALLY HIRING ANOTHER ONE.

I'M DOING INTERVIEWS NEXT WEEK.

>>I GUESS THE LOCATION, YOU'RE EXPANDING BUT YOU'RE STAYING IN THE SAME PLACE.

THAT'S IMPORTANT.

>>WE HAVE TO, ON THAT DAY I GOT THE CALL.

ACTUALLY, I USUALLY KEEP MY PHONE NEXT TO MY BED BECAUSE I HAVE 76 YEAR OLD MOM.

AND I HAD ACTUALLY PLUGGED IT IN THE KITCHEN THAT NIGHT.

SO IT WOULD CHARGE.

AND MY PARTNER HAD GOTTEN OUT OF BED BECAUSE ALL THESE VIBRATING AND HIS PHONE WAS GOING OFF AND THIS WAS ABOUT 2:30.

AND ALL WE KNEW WAS THERE WAS, ALL WE HEARD WAS THERE WAS A SHOOTING AT PULSE.

AND WE GOT, HIM AND I JUMPED INTO CLOTHES AND GOT DOWN THERE.

ACTUALLY I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH MY BOARD PRESIDENT AND HE SAID , "I'M ON THE WAY TO THE CENTER."

BY THE TIME HE GOT TO OUR BUILDING ON MILLS AVENUE, WHICH WAS ABOUT 5:30 IN THE MORNING, THERE WERE PEOPLE OUTSIDE HOLDING CANDLES.

WE OPENED THAT BUILDING AND WITHIN THE FIRST TWO HOURS THERE WERE 600 PEOPLE IN THAT BUILDING.

IT'S BECOME THE CENTER.

IT'S THERE.

IT'S THE PLACE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS AND THEY LOOK TO IT.

SO, WE'RE EXPANDING INTO THE SHOPPING CENTER NEXT DOOR.

WE ARE, AND I SEE US STAYING THERE BECAUSE IT'S THE PLACE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS AND EVERYBODY FELT THAT THEY COULD COME TO AND GET A HUG, BE AROUND PEOPLE, LIFT A CASE OF WATER AND JUST BE THERE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AND FEELING THAT THEY WERE HELPING IN SOME WAY.

SO, I COULDN'T SEE US MOVING FROM THERE.

>>WELL, TERRY DECARLO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GLBT CENTER IN ORLANDO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>>THANK YOU.

>>WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY CHRISTOPHER CUEVAS.

HE'S THE FOUNDER OF QLATINX.

CHRISTOPHER, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>>THANK YOU.

>>AND WE WILL TAKE A FEW QUESTIONS IF YOU GUYS HAVE THEM.

[APPLAUSE] >>SO MY QUESTION IS WHAT CAN THE MEDIA DO TO NOT CO-OPT THE STORIES OF THE VICTIMS?

WHAT CAN THEY DO TO FACILITATE?

WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM THE MEDIA TO FACILITATE HEALING AND NOT OPEN UP MORE WOUNDS?

>>THE MEDIA, TO ME, NEEDS TO TELL THOSE STORIES OF THE LIVES THAT WERE TAKEN FROM US.

THE LIVES THAT ARE STILL HERE, THE HEROES, THE POLICE OFFICERS WHO ARE NOW LIVING WITH PTSD.

THEY NEED TO HEAR THOSE STORIES OF OUR HEROES AND OUR ANGELS.

THAT'S WHAT THE MEDIA NEEDS TO DO.

>>CHRISTOPHER, I WANTED TO JUST PICK UP ON A QUESTION FROM EARLIER AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE LGBTQ AND LATINX FOLKS HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR FROM THE LGBT COMMUNITY.

WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO THE MEDIA, REPORTERS WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING TO TRY AND HELP THIS COMMUNITY?

>>IT'S ABOUT CENTERING THOSE VOICES AND HONORING THOSE NARRATIVES.

AND FINDING THE COMMUNITY THAT IS BEING CREATED AS A RESULT OF TRAGEDY.

FINDING A COMMUNITY THAT HAS NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE AND THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, IS CREATING SOMETHING.

FOR THE FIRST TIME ARE MAKING THESE CONNECTIONS WITH EACH OTHER AND TELLING THOSE STORIES, AND HONORING THAT.

FOR US, IT'S BEEN A BLESSING TO BE ABLE TO CREATE COMMUNITY AND TO SEE HOW POWERFUL COMMUNITY HEALING IS.

BECAUSE HEALING BEGINS IN COMMUNITY NOT IN ISOLATION.

AND WHEN THE MEDIA IS ABLE TO TELL THE STORY OF THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING TO CREATE COMMUNITY FOR THESE MARGINALIZED IDENTITIES, IT CREATES SUCH GREAT TRANSFORMATION.

AND SO CONTINUING TO PUSH THE NARRATIVES OF OUR ALREADY MARGINALIZED IDENTITIES.

YOU KNOW?

THE ALREADY MARGINALIZED LGBTQ+ PEOPLE OF COLOR AND UPLIFTING THOSE VOICES AND HONORING THEM.

THAT'S HOW WE CAN PROGRESS.

THAT'S HOW WE CAN CREATE TRANSFORMATION.

>>DID YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU WERE GETTING INTO WHEN YOU SET UP THIS ORGANIZATION?

>>NO.

[LAUGHTER] >>BUT IT'S BEEN BEAUTIFUL.

>>SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA WRAP UP THIS SECTION BUT I DO WANT TO THANK BOTH OF OUR PANELISTS, CHRISTOPHER CUEVAS AND TERRY DECARLO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>>THANK YOU.

>>THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE] >>THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO, WHETHER YOU SERVED ON THE PANEL OR IF YOU TOOK PART IN ONE OF THE STORY-CORE INTERVIEWS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE.

THANK YOU FOR BEARING WITNESS, BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THESE STORIES PRESERVED AND THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THIS VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY THAT I THINK EVERY DAY IS GROWING AND EVOLVING, AND LEARNING MORE HOW TO BE ACTIVE LISTENERS.

HOW TO HAVE CIVIL DISCOURSE.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT.

THANK YOU TO ORLANDO HEALTH FOR HAVING US AND FOR THE TREMENDOUS WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE AS WELL.

PLEASE, A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

[APPLAUSE] >>AND STAY CLOSE TO US.

WE LOOK TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT.