Florida Gov. Rick Scott proclaimed June 12 as the day to commemorate the 2016 massacre at Orlando Pulse, Florida’s gay bar, which killed 49 people attending a Latino party.
Scott invited all Floridians to pause this Monday at 9 am to “share a moment of silence” and remind the victims, mostly Puerto Ricans.
“It was an attack against Orlando, against our state, against the Hispanic community and the LGBTQ community,” Scott said.
Next Monday marks the first anniversary of the attack by Omar Mateen, an Afghan-born security guard who said he was acting on behalf of the Islamic State at the gay-friendly nightclub Pulse, where more than 50 people were injured.
Scott proclaimed “Monday, June 12, 2017, as a Pulse in Florida Memorial Day in recognition of the 49 innocent lives lost in the horrific attack on the nightclub last year,” a statement said.
On Monday, the worst gun kill in the country’s recent history will be remembered with a vigil, a concert and a variety of programming.
“Pulse’s horrific terrorist attack tried to tear apart the fabric of our society, strike fear in our hearts and divide us,” Scott said in the statement.
“However, faced with extreme adversity and loss, Floridians showed resistance, courage and love,” he added.
