Tuesday marks one month since 49 people died in the shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
- United We Remember event in Kissimmee
- Honors Pulse victims, survivors
- Tuesday marks 1 month since the attack
“And a few seconds later we heard another pap, pap, pap, and I am like that doesn’t sound right," said Orlando Torres, a promoter for Pulse. He still wears the wristband he got at the hospital the morning of June 12.
Torres hid in one of the club’s bathrooms for hours, putting his feet up, so the shooter wouldn’t see him. “And the gunman came in shooting and struck some people on the back and I heard them moaning and screaming and breathing hard and going through it. We just managed to stay out of sight of the gunman. He never knew we were inside of that stall," Torres explained.
- #ORLANDOUNITED Section
Fast forward to now, he was one of the 49 angels who filled the exhibition hall at the Osceola Heritage Park -- representing each life lost.
It's all part of United We Remember, an event put together by people in the Central Florida community. “We need to support the family victims, we need to support our community. It doesn’t matter if it’s Kissimmee or Orlando," said Yolie Cintron.
During the event we heard from religious leaders, first responders and performers. One of the artists, Brandon Parsons wrote a song: "Forty-Nine Times," what he calls a tribute to Orlando.
Parsons said it was the easiest and hardest song he’s ever written. "You have to feel it. And that’s why I wrote this song because I felt it. Even from miles and miles away… I had to do something," Parsons said.
And while Torres is not sure when he will be ready to take off his wristband, he says it’s community events like these that help him cope with the pain.
“We all hurt, we all bleed, we're all god’s children. It just keeps us feeling loved and secured," Torres said.