Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sat the head of a community roundtable Friday with Orlando leaders and the families of the Pulse nightclub attack victims.

  • Hillary Clinton brought a bouquet to Pulse nightclub Friday
  • She also spoke to Orlando community leaders, attack survivors and first responders
  • Clinton spoke at length about the visit during her rally in Tampa

"We need to acknowledge, and be clear, about who this attack targeted -- our Latino and LGBT community, by any measure, was the community most severely impacted by this terrible attack," she told the group at the Holden Heights Community Center in west Orlando.

"Among other things, it means it is still dangerous to be LGBT in America. I think it's an unfortunate fact, but one that needs to be said, that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are more likely than any other group in the country to be targets of hate crimes."

Panelists discussed the Pulse nightclub attack, and how the community is trying to heal after 49 people were gunned down June 12.

Among the panelists, candidate for Florida House District 49 Carlos Giullermo Smith.

"It is very difficult to change peoples' hearts and minds. We have to address it. But this hate, bigotry and racism is killing us," he told the panel.

Orlando SWAT Capt. Mark Canty, who was at Pulse the day of the attack, looked at the aftermath from another perspective -- police shootings that have dominated the news in the last few years. Canty said that Orlando and its police department built programs to reach out to the community and as a result, people came out immediately to help.

That includes donating food, water and other items to exhausted first responders working the crime scene for days.

"If you look at Orlando, the bond that we had with the community did not start on June 12," Canty said. "We put a lot of work in to building those relationships. We have an LGBT liaison, we have connections with the African-American community, connections with the Hispanic community, connections with the Muslim community."

"I think if we can stop focusing so much on our differences and start focusing on what we have in common, things will be a lot better," Canty said.

"Amen," Clinton said, amazed.

Clinton said people need to demand changes from lawmakers at the federal, state and local level on gun violence, particularly assault weapons.

She also said we have to go after the online radical Islamist terror network, though she avoided using the term.

"We must disrupt and dismantle the global online network that radicalizes people in the United States, that infects the thinking and attitudes of people in their homes," Clinton said.

Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, a leader in the LGBT community, says Clinton's visit wasn't one of politics.

"There were a lot of people who came here after the Pulse tragedy that were just trying to make it about themselves and not trying to bring this community together," Sheehan said.

Many of the speakers echoed comments Clinton has made throughout the campaign about unifying the country behind diversity and love and respect.

"I was really moved by everyone who stood in solidarity with the victims and families in Orlando, with the LGBT community, with the Latino community, with the Muslim community, with law enforcement and others who had been truly tested and tried in the face of such horror and evil," Clinton said of Orlando's response to the shooting, from the people standing in line to give blood to the vigils.

After the roundtable, Clinton visited the memorial in front of the Pulse nightclub shooting. She spoke some more with first responders, and laid a bouquet.

She also spoke with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and hugged him as she left. Dyer was supposed to be a Clinton delegate to the Democratic National Convention next week, but he is backing out of the convention as he continues to deal with issues in the aftermath of the attack.

Mourners applaud Clinton visit to Pulse

Visitors to the memorial are applauding Hillary Clinton’s scheduled visit to the site where so many died.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is scheduled to tour the gay nightclub during her stay in Orlando.

Visitors to the memorial say they hope Clinton’s visit is sincere.

“I think it's a good idea that she’s coming, it shows some respect. You know, that she’s gonna come and visit, especially all the families that lost all their special people here,” said Bobby Robles, who drove from New York with his girlfriend.

“I think anybody that’s a human being will want to come and visit here and show their respect. I mean this is the worst mass shooting in American history,” said Austin Lee from Kissimmee who was taping the memorial on his cellular phone.

Both Robles and Lee say it would be a good idea for the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, to visit the memorial as well as a sign of respect.