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'I'm next, I'm dead'

Medics and victims speak about horror of Orlando massacre as it is revealed six victims remain in intensive care

Those involve relieve the terrifying experience as yet more grim details of Omar Mateen's savage killing spree come to light

VICTIMS and doctors involved in the savage massacre in Orlando have been speaking about the horrific scenes inside the Pulse nightclub.

Six people remain in intensive care following the attacks carried out by ISIS fanatic Omar Mateen in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Angel Colon told reports about his harrowing experience inside the gay bar
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Angel Colon told reports about his harrowing experience inside the gay barCredit: Sky News

 

Medics told a news conference they saw a "full gamete of wounds" after the attack that left 49 nightclubbers dead.

Survivors suffered injuries to their extremities, abdomens and large soft tissue wounds as the murderous jihadi unleashed a hail of bullets inside the packed gay bar.

One victim, Angel Colon, recounted his terrifying experience telling how he saw people dying all around him.

He said: "He's shooting everyone that's already dead on the floor ... I could see him shooting everyone ... I look over and he shoots the girl next to me.

"I don't know how, but by the glory of God he shoots toward my head, but it hits my hand.

"And I'm there laying down and thinking, I'm next, I'm dead."

Angel was also hit in the hip as Mateen continued hunting down victims in the Pulse nightclub leaving "bodies everywhere".

Doctor Will Havron told reporters at the news conference the night was a "surreal experience" as doctors rushed from patient to patient to treat the terrible injuries.
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Doctor Will Havron told reporters at the news conference the night was a "surreal experience" as doctors rushed from patient to patient to treat the terrible injuries.
Dr. Marc Levy, an Orlando Health trauma surgeon attended a press conference
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Dr. Marc Levy, an Orlando Health trauma surgeon attended a press conferenceCredit: AP:Associated Press
Dr. Michael Cheatham, chief surgeon of the Orlando Health Regional Medical Center hospital spoke to the press
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Dr. Michael Cheatham, chief surgeon of the Orlando Health Regional Medical Center hospital spoke to the pressCredit: AP:Associated Press

He added: "He is shooting everybody that is already dead on the floor, making sure they are dead.

"I was able to peek over and I can just see him shooting everyone."

"I am looking up and some cop that I wish I could remember his face or his name, because to this day I'm grateful, he looks at me and makes sure I am alive.

"He grabs my hand and he says, this is the only way I can take you out.

"I couldn't walk. So he starts to drag me out across the room to the Wendy's. I said, please carry me, because I'm in pain right now ..."

Angel described the gun battle as deafening as cops and Mateen got embroiled in fierce firefight which eventually claimed the jihadists life.

Doctor Will Havron told reporters at the news conference the night was a "surreal experience" as doctors rushed from patient to patient to treat the terrible injuries.

Horror death of youngest victim, 18, who was out celebrating her graduation

AKYARA Murray was partying with her cousin when she took three hours to bleed out from a gunshot wound to her arm

She took a bullet to the arm when Omar Mateen opened fire in the packed gay bar and took a bullet to her arm.
The tragic student texted her parents at 2am telling she had been hit and then rang them saying she was losing a lot of blood.
The youngster suffered a gunshot wound to her arm and suffered an agonising death as she took three hours to bleed out while cops tried to subdue the jihadist murderer.
Less than a week had passed since the young scholar had graduated and she had just signed a letter of intent to play college basketball at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania after the summer.
Her heartbroken mum detailed her daughter’s horrific death telling reporters: “She was saying she was shot and she was screaming, saying she was losing a lot of blood.
“I just tried to tell her to remain calm and apply pressure to the wound.
“All I could hear was my baby screaming.
“It was devastating.”
Murray's cousin, Tiara Parker, and friend, Patience Carter, are recovering at the hospital.

Meanwhile cops face being grilled over why it took three hours to storm an Orlando nightclub where a crazed gunman had opened fire.

Orlando Police face questions over the delay in breaking through the wall of Pulse club, while ISIS fanatic Omar Mateen murdered 49 people inside.

An off-duty officer was caught in a stand-off with the 29-year-old terrorist, but authorities chose to hold off letting experts storm the building.

More than 100 people were shot in the worst mass-shooting in American history.

It was the most deathly terror attack the country has seen since 911.

Police Chief John Mina admitted some of those shot could have been hit by officers as they were caught up in the cross-fire.

He said: "'I will say that is all part of the investigation. But I will say when our SWAT officers, about eight or nine officers, opened fire, their backdrop was a concrete wall. And they were being fired upon, so that is all part of the investigation."

Orlando massacre
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An Orange County Sheriff's Department SWAT member arrives to the scene of a fatal shooting at Pulse Orlando nightclub in OrlandoCredit: AP:Associated Press
Body leaving Pulse
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A body is taken away from Pulse nightclub, where a gunman opened fire on revellers early Sunday morningCredit: AP:Associated Press

 

At Least 50 Dead In Mass Shooting At Gay Nightclub In Orlando
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A SWAT team smashed through the wall of the club to shoot dead the attackerCredit: Getty Images
Bodies removed from Pulse
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Cops have come under fire for the delay in sending a SWAT team in, which could have cost dozens of livesCredit: AP:Associated Press

Mateen had a shootout with an off-duty officer at the club's entrance, before firing at two other officers who arrived.

After the shoot-outs with the three cops, Mateen took around 30 people hostage in one of the club's bathrooms.

Experts say there is a big difference between responding to a lone gunman and a shooter with hostages.

In active shooter situations officers are trained to act immediately.

However the delay in storming the club meant the situation shifted to a hostage environment, where cops are trained to try and negotiate.

Experts have scrutinised Orlando police's delay, saying officers at the scene of mass shootings must get inside quickly - even at great risk - to save more lives.

Chris Grollnek, expert on active-shooter tactics and a retired police officer and SWAT member, said: "We live in a different world. And action beats inaction 100 per cent of the time."

Grollnek slammed the police commanders in Florida who didn't allow SWAT team members to enter until several hours after the shooter attacked.

Official sacked for saying it's a shame 'only' 50 people died in Orlando massacre

An official dealing with social integration has shocked social media users by saying that it was a shame ‘only’ 50 people died in the horrific Orlando shooting and not 100.

Jose de Jesus Corona Manzo, who worked for SEDIS, the Ministry of Development and Social Integration in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, posted the hateful message on Facebook saying: "Too bad it was only 50 and not 100."

He was referring to the massacre that took place Saturday (11th June) at about 2am at the Pulse club in Orlando, Florida, which is a popular spot with the gay community and where Omar Mateen, 29, gunned down at least 49 people and injured over 50 with an AR-15-style assault rifle.

According to local media, both the state’s Governor, Jorge Aristoteles Sandoval Diaz, and the Secretary of Development and Social Integration, Miguel Castro Reynoso, personally requested his dismissal.

Mr Castro Reynoso distanced himself from Corona Manzo immediately, saying: "The first thing we need to do is be tolerant, we serve the people and so on behalf of SEDIS and the people who give 100 percent on a daily basis to improve the lives of the people, I humbly and sincerely apologise to anyone who may have been offended."

He then added that "a comment that petty had no place in SEDIS. This person is no longer part of the Secretariat."

At Least 50 Dead In Mass Shooting At Gay Nightclub In Orlando
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Mateen shot dead 49 people and injured 53 more in the worst mass-shooting in American historyCredit: AP:Associated Press
Orlando shooting
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The killer took around 30 people hostage in the bathroom of the club, while others managed to escapeCredit: AP:Associated Press
Police car
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A police car at Mateen's Florida home, around a two hour drive from the gay club he opened fire inCredit: Getty Images

He said: "How have we failed so poorly that we did not learn our lesson... when we see SWAT teams respond and not making entry creates victims. Period. End of story."

Once Mateen had taken hostages into the toilet, he called 911 and pledged allegiance to Islamic State, Chief Mina said yesterday.

He added: "We had a team of crisis negotiators that talked to the suspect, trying to get as much information as possible, what we could do to help resolve the situation... He wasn't asking a whole lot, and we were doing most of the asking."

As negotiations failed, Mateen began talking about explosives and police decided to blast a whole in the wall of the club at around 5am - three hours after shooting began at 2am.

The explosion failed and they were forced to ram through the wall in an armoured vehicle.

Omar Mateen
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The killer murdered 49 people and injured 53 at gay club Pulse in Orlando, FloridaCredit: EPS
shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando
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Officers have been slammed for the delay in bursting through the wall at PulseCredit: EPA

Mina said: "We knew there would be an imminent loss of life."

Hostages began running from the building, as did Mateen, who was shot dead by a SWAT team.

Pulse nightclub's official page warned people to "get out and keep running" shortly after shooting began early Sunday morning.

Grollnek praised this advice, saying: 'The problem is we're failing to evolve by learning the lesson that hiding does not work.

"Running works. Everyone who escapes to tell their story says, 'I ran away. I heard a noise on my left, and I went to my right and I got out'.''

Experts have likened the Orlando atrocity to other mass-shootings were a delay in action gave suspects more time to kill.

A mass shooting in 1984 at a McDonald's in California saw 21 people killed before a SWAT team killed the gunman 45 minutes later.


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