We have an active shooter. We have an after shoots go ahead of me
quar with a mass casualty. Welcome to Active Shooter, a podcast that covers
the whys, the hows, and the aftermath of active shooter and mass casualty
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our big attacks. We got Josh fires four fifteen asl Brouge ninety one,
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Welcome back to Active Shooter podcast. Part two of our coverage of the Pulse
night club shooting will continue with a tribute to the forty nine shooting victims and
a review of the shooter's background. Thank you for listening. Achira Murray was
the youngest of the shooting victims. The eighteen year old recently graduated with honors
from West Catholic Prep and had signed a letter of intent to play basketball at
Mercyhurst College. Nineteen year old Jason Benjamin Josephatt was born in Haiti before emigrating
to the United States. An aspiring photographer, Jason also studied nursing at Valencia
Community College. Twenty year old Louis omar Ocazio Cappo graduated from Laverne High School
in Tennessee in twenty fifteen and was described by others as a compassionate friend,
one who would listen but also gave sound advice. Alejandro Barrios Martinez wore a
perpetual smile and was simply a happy person. The twenty one year old was
only living in Florida for about a year before the shooting, having emigrated from
Cuba. Cory James Connell was a twenty one year old with big dreams of
becoming a firefighter. The basketball and football player was described by others as reliable
and was always a shoulder to lean on. Twenty two year old Juan Romano
Guerrero was working as a telemarketer while attending classes at the University of Central Florida.
Peter O Gonzales Cruz was an enthusiastic ups employee who thrived off making others
laugh, especially when he would switch on one of the various accents he perfected
mimicking. Twenty two year old Louis s Vilma was an employee of Universal Studios
at the time of the shooting. He worked on one of the park's many
Harry Potter rides, and if you saw him there, he probably made an
impression. Always inclusive and exuding positivity are just a few of the ways his
loved ones described Lewis. Twenty three year old Stanley Almodovar was a kind hearted
person with an exceptional sense of humour who was known to keep others in stitches.
He was working as a pharmacy technician at a Vella Specialty pharmacy at the
time of the shooting. Jonathan Antonio Kamui Vega was a diligent twenty four year
old who was employed in audience management for Telemundo's popular show Lavos Kids, which
is a show not unlike the American show The Voice You'll Marry. Rodriguez Sullivan
was a married, twenty four year old mother of two precious boys who were
her world. She was described by loved ones as devoted and thoughtful. Christopher
Joseph san Felise was devoted to his family and would do anything for them.
The twenty four year old was a graduate of Tampa's Gay the High School before
becoming employed with J. P. Morgan Chase, which is where he worked
at the time of the shooting. Heraldo a Ortiz Jimenez was from Carolina,
Puerto Rico, and only happened to be in Orlando to attend a concert by
his very favorite artist of all time, Selina Gomez. The twenty five year
old was described as solicitous and genuine. Twenty five year old Leroy Valentine Fernandez
was employed as a leasing agent, but his true passion was performing on stage,
particularly as a singer, which he often did at local restaurants and bars.
Twenty five year old Gilbert Ramon Silva Menendez was a cheerful person with a
deep well of compassion for others, so much so that he had intended to
return to school in September to become a nurse. Amanda Alvear, a former
prom queen, was in school studying to become a nurse. The twenty five
year old worked at a pharmacy and was recently promoted to lead pharmacy technician when
the shooting occurred. Anthony Luis Loriano Dizla was described as quote lovely, kind
and respectful, A fantastic dancer. A fantastic dancer. Anthony specially loved the
tango, mambo, salsa, and ballroom dancing, which the twenty five year
old did any chance he got. Enrique el Rios Junior was from New York
City, but he was in Orlando to celebrate a friend's birthday. The trip
doubled as a vacation of sorts for the fun, loving, lively. Twenty
five year old Juan Cevez Martinez, a twenty five year old native of Heldalgo,
Mexico, was living in Florida for approximately a year before the shooting.
He aspired to become a hairstylist. It was his passion. Juan was beloved
to all. He went out of his way to help others any time the
nit a rose. Twenty five year old Tevin Eugene Crosby was a twenty ten
graduate of West Aridel High School. He was living in Michigan, but the
business owner was in Orlando visiting when the shooting happened. Oscar A Arasina Montero
was a welcoming person who got along with anyone and everyone. The twenty six
year old had just returned from a vacation in New York the day before the
shooting. Twenty six year old Mercedes Mareso Flores studied literature at Valencia College and
was an ardent music lover. She was at the night club with her best
friend Amanda Alvar the knight of the shooting that stole them both from the world.
Twenty seven year old Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez was born in Baiamone,
Puerto Rico, but had been living in Orlando for an unknown period. Jean
had proudly just purchased his first home and was teaching a sixteen year old sister
how to drive, such important life moments that he will never get to enjoy.
Frank Hernandez was a twenty seven year old who had been living in Orlando
for about three years. Leading up to the shooting. He worked at a
local Calvin Cline store. Angel L. Candelario Padro was born in Puerto Rico
and moved to Chicago to attend uptometry school. At the time of the shooting,
Angel was just about to join the Florida Retina Institute in Lake Mary,
Florida as an ophthalmic technician. The twenty eight year old was also a Zumba
instructor. Antonio Devon Brown was a native of Coco Beach, Florida, and
graduated in two thousand eight from the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University also known as
Florida A and M, where he majored in criminal justice. The twenty nine
year old was known to be uplifting and he had a wonderful sense of humor.
Twenty nine year old Darrel roman Bert the Second was an outgoing and friendly
person who worked assiduously as a member of a young professionals group called the Jacksonville
j CS. Thirty year old Eddie Demaldroy Justice was employed as an accountant and
was living in downtown Orlando. Eddie was a master with accessories, often incorporating
pieces of flashy jewelry. Thirty year old Miguel Angel Honoreedo was a married father
with three boys, ages fifteen, two and one. The manager of his
family's restaurant, Miguel worked very hard so he could take care of his family,
but also spend valuable time with his loved ones. Gerald Arthur Wright worked
at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, and as you can imagine,
he loved his job. He went overboard to make others laugh, which he
always did. Gerald played hard, but he worked even harder. Simon Adrian
Carrio Fernandez was thirty one years old at the time of the shooting. He
was a watch enthusiast and enjoyed music and cars. Simon was a store manager
for a local McDonald's, a position he earned by his willingness to step in
and get the job done, helping others along the way. Thirty two year
old Deanca Deirdre Drayton was known as a true friend you could count on,
and she had a personality that drew others in. She had recently fallen on
hard times, but Dion could put in the work and was getting her life
back on track before the shooting. Christopher Andrew Lenonen, known to his friends
as Drew, was a thirty two year old who attended Seminole High School and
grew into a man who thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people and talking about movies.
Thirty two year old Joel Rayon Paniagua grew up in Veracruz, Mexico, but
had moved to Florida a year earlier to work construction. Known as a loyal
person, Joel was devoted to his church. Thirty three year old Ridolpho Ayala
Ayala was a biologic's assistant at One Blood, which was a local blood bank.
Known for his unique style, which included bow ties. Ridolpho was a
prankster and he had a larger than life personality. Jane Evan Tomlinson, a
thirty three year old singer with a local cover band called Frequency Band, was
an effervescent person who only knew how to live life to the fullest. Jing
graduated from East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science degree in communication with a
minor in business administration. Martin Benitez Torres moved to Florida not long before the
shooting. The thirty three year old, who was described as a genuine friend,
was studying marketing at Sistema Universitario. Anna G. Mendez thirty four year
old Edward Sodemeyer Junior, was affectionately called top Hat Eddie because he always wore
a black top hat to local events. A bright light in the world,
Eddie would do anything for someone in need. Thirty five year old Xavier Emmanuel
Serrano Rosado was a proud father to a five year old son whom he adored.
Xavier was a professional dancer specializing in the salsa. Jean Carlos Mendez Perez
was a thirty five year old man who was never down. How could he
be when he spent most of his time finding new ways to make people laugh.
The fitness enthusiast was born in Puerto Rico, although he had been living
in Florida for an undisclosed amount of time. Eric Ivan Ortiz Rivera was a
newly wed at thirty six and had been living in Wedded Bliss with his husband
for nearly a year before the shooting. Described as a quote goofball with a
brilliant artistic side. Juan pi Rivera Velasquez was a thirty seven year old native
of Puerto Rico who was the owner of a hair salon in Kissing Me when
the shooting happened. Paulse nightclub bouncer Kimberly Morris was thirty seven years old at
the time of the shooting. Kimberly was a former basketball player at Post University
in Connecticut. Thirty seven year old Louis Daniel Wilson was born in Puerto Rico
and eventually landed in Florida. The manager of a local shoe store, Lewis
was extremely enthusiastic about dance. Lewis Daniel Condy was a thirty nine year old,
welcoming and attentive person who knew how to put others at ease. He
was at the club on the night of the shooting, dancing an having fun
with his husband and partner of thirteen years. Forty year old Javier Jree Reyes
was originally from Puerto Rico. Known as a comedian, Javier was incredibly talented
in the arts, with a special flare for makeup. Paul Terrell Henry an
outgoing and fun loving dad to one son. He was said to be nurturing
and compassionate, but mostly he was a phenomenal dad. Brenda Lee Marquez McCool
was a forty nine year old mother of eleven kids. She was known as
the cool mom, which is simply no small feet with that many children.
She made it work with an open mind and she was amazing at it.
Tragically, Brenda was already involved in a life or death battle with leukemia when
she was shot. Fifty year old Frankie Jimmy Deheesius Velasquez was the eldest of
the forty nine shooting victims. Jimmy was a professional dancer and he had traveled
the world dancing from one end of the earth to the other. A sociable
man, he was happiest with others, dancing and laughing. Just to recap,
there were forty nine shooting victims, more than half of whom were under
thirty. These innocent people were in what they believed was a safe space,
doing the things they loved the most, spending time with friends and loved ones,
socializing, but mainly they were expressing themselves through dance. Best friends died
unnecessarily that day. Lovers and spouses were ruthlessly murdered that day. Forty nine
people who were celebrating their uniqueness and love were targeted and died that day.
They were mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, confidants, and
so much more than what this shooter tried to reduce them to. The sheer
loss of life is a soul crushing as it is infuriating. Nate was born
on November sixteenth, nineteen eighty six at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in
New Hyde Park, New York. He immigrated to the States from Afghanistan in
the eighties. Nate's father became a naturalized US citizen on November seventeenth, nineteen
eighty nine, which was many years after his father met his mother and the
pair married. The couple settled in New York and proceeded to start a family.
They had four kids, including three girls and Nate. In nineteen ninety
one, the family moved to Port Saint Lucie, Florida, where Nate was
promptly enrolled in a program called English for Speakers of other languages. Nate's father
was a financial broker whose savvy investment decisions afforded the family a rather posh lifestyle
with exquisite furniture and high priced silk rugs. His mother was a wallflower,
preferring to stay in the background as a homemaker who doted on her little family.
Nate was very pampered and spoiled, and the role models he looked up
to had their male privilege on display at all times. Nate's father had become
involved in politics, even hosting a political commentary show and he rather enjoyed making
a display of the power he had. Power he wasn't afraid to wield over
his wife if he ever felt she stepped out of line. In December of
two thousand two, Nate's dad called the police on his wife, reporting that
she pulled his hair and pinched his bicep all while cursing him out. He
alleged that the bite on his bicep left a red mark, and he wanted
her arrested and prosecuted. Nate's mom was arrested for domestic battery, However,
the local prosecutor declined to charge the case. Between January two thousand five,
in June twenty sixteen, Nate's dad was a secret informant for the FBI.
He sporadically did informant work over the years, though the reason he was an
informant and how he even came to be involved with the FBI is unknown.
He founded a nonprofit organization in twenty ten based in Port Saint Lucie, Florida,
and while he appeared outwardly to be philanthropic, he most assuredly exhibited problematic
behavior, which seems to have trickled down to his son, Nate. Attended
school in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, including Mariposa Elementary School, where in
the third grade, Nate's teacher wrote a progress report stating the following quote very
active, constantly moving, verbally abusive, rude, aggressive, much talk about
violence and sex. Hands all over the place, including other children, and
in his mouth. In seventh grade, Nate was moved to a new class
after multiple quarrels with other students. His grades began to slide due to quote
many instances of behavior problems. Former classmates described Nate as your typical bully who
was disrespectful towards females. Some say he thought he was superior to others.
On the other hand, there are some who say that it was actually Nate
who was bullied, not the other way around. It said that Nate was
belittled over his weight and teased about his heritage. However, it certainly appears
that Nate's parents were indifferent to their son's behavior, not taking any of it
seriously. Indeed, there were reports from some of Nate's former teachers that his
father quote had a reputation for being disrespectful of female teachers and dismissive of complaints
about his son. His lack of concern was further demonstrated in nineteen ninety nine
when Nate was in eighth grade and a teacher sent a letter to his parents
saying that Nate quote had an attitude and inability to show self control. In
two thousand, Nate started at Martin County High School, although his attendance didn't
last long. Not long after the school year commenced, Nate was expelled after
getting into a fight during math class. The then fourteen year old was handcuffed
and charged with a single count of battery along with one count of disrupting school.
The charges were later dropped, but Nate wasn't welcomed back to school.
For their part, the school stated that they attempted to guide Nate to making
better choices and practicing self control, but nothing ever stuck. Nate's dad always
took up for his son and was never willing to accept or admit that his
child was in the wrong. After his expulsion, Nate was enrolled in an
alternative education program called Spectrum. The program was tailored towards students with behavioral issues.
He seemed to perform well enough at the new school for a short time
at least one classmate from this time described Nate as more of a prankster who
would act out in class, but he wasn't a troublemaker yet. After the
September eleventh terrorist attacks, Nate stood up in class and cheered. It wouldn't
be an appropriate reaction today, but this was two thousand and one, so
a swift response ensued, including calling Nate's dad to school. When he arrived,
he smacked Nate across the face in front of everyone and took him home.
Nate was suspended for five days as a result. Didn't long before Nate
found himself in another fight and was subsequently shipped to yet another school, Saint
Lucy West Centennial High School. That transfer wasn't successful either, and Nate was
sent off to yet another school called Martin County Stewart Adult Vocational School, though
the reason for this move is unknown. Nate managed to graduate from the vocational
school, but it wasn't without several issues along the way. For example,
he was suspended for forty eight cumulative days due to fighting, several of which
resulted in injuries to other students. From two thousand and two to two thousand
and six, Nate worked a variety of jobs, including cashier at Chick fil
A, bagging groceries at Public's, Gold's, Jim Hollister Clothing Company, Walgreen's,
Nutrition World, GNC, and Circuit City. In case you weren't keeping
count, that's eight different jobs within four years for the time. It's a
wonder he managed to land any kind of job with such a poor employment history.
Perhaps he was bullied. Nate became fixated with fitness. In working out,
he turned the extra weight and to a muscle mass, which Nate admired,
so he began taking steroids, which he purchased online, along with a
multitude of supplements and protein powders from GNC. Those who knew Nate recounted different
versions of the same person. Some say he was very serious, while others
claim that he was a party boy who was always up for fun, including
going to parties and underage drinking. In two thousand and six, Nate legally
changed his name, though research isn't clear on why. That same year,
he made the decision that he wanted to pursue becoming a police officer, like
he did many other times that he set a goal. Nate became consumed with
the need to become a cop. He immediately enrolled in the Indian River Community
College and graduated in August of two thousand and six with a two point seven
to six GPA and an associate's degree in Criminal Justice Technology. He crafted a
MySpace page to include selfies wearing NYPD shirts. That fall, Nate quit working
at GNC, leaving a handwritten note for his supervisor saying that he was leaving
to focus on his police career. He landed a new job right away,
working as a corrections officer for fourteen dollars an hour at the Martin Correctional Institution,
an adult male prison located in Indian Town, Florida. He was hired
on a probationary period and was required to take an oath as an officer,
so on October twenty seventh, two thousand and six, Nate promised to quote
uphold the Constitution of the United States and the State of Florida, and to
perform my duties faithfully and in accordance with my mission to ensure public safety.
Following his typical pattern, Nate didn't last long in this new career. In
April of two thousand and seven, he was terminated from his job as a
correctional officer. The precise reason why is unknown, but those close to him
say it was because he had made concerning threats towards the training academy. The
time spent working at the correctional facility wasn't wasted time. However, Nate utilized
his time in a very specific way, learning the ins and outs of the
law enforcement side of the criminal justice system. He was able to attend a
training academy designed for correction officers, firefighters, and police officers at Indian River
State College. There, he learned how to shoot with precision, and he
became an excellent shot. Yet, because Nate couldn't help but be Nate,
he got himself into trouble when, just after the Virginia Tech shooting, he
asked a classmate if they would report him for bringing a firearm to the campus.
The other student acted immediately reporting the threat, and Nate was expelled from
the academy. Officials cited Nate's actions as quote at best, extremely disturbing.
While the incident was documented, Nate wasn't ever charged. In September of two
thousand and seven, Nate was hired by a security firm based out of London,
called G four S. G four S is one of the largest security
firms on the globe, employing over six hundred and twenty three thousand across one
hundred and ten countries. A part of his role of security included a permit
to carry a concealed weapon, which further exposed him to the objects that he
grew to believe provided the means for him to achieve the ultimate power of taking
another life. Nate got married in April two thousand and nine to a woman
he met through an online dating website. She was a real estate agent from
New Jersey, and she moved to be with Nate and Port Saint Lucie,
which is where they held the wedding. Initially, the couple lived with Nate's
parents, and almost immediately the physical and emotional abuse began. His wife claims
that Nate was volatile, enraged at her with open hands and fists for the
smallest infraction, such as not finishing laundry. Nate spent most of his free
time at the gym, so his wife wasn't privy to his secrets, like
his increasingly extremest beliefs. The marriage didn't last long, and they separated after
nine months. And divorced in June of twenty eleven, a mere three months
later, Nate remarried another woman he met online. His new wife was a
Palestinian American woman who was raised in Rodeo Beach, California, and it was
a second marriage for each. The new couple moved into Nate's two bedroom condo
in Fort Pierce, Florida. In September of twenty twelve, Nate and his
wife welcomed his first child, a son. On the surface, it was
an idyllic time in their lives. Nate started visiting the Islamic center of Fort
Pierce, oftentimes with his son and father. His three sisters each volunteered at
the mosque quite frequently and were well known there. Nate not so much the
mosques. A mom later reported that Nate kept to himself. He would arrive,
pray, and then leave. It seems that perhaps Nate was harboring a
few deep secrets, maybe even from himself. Though he was married, it
appears he grappled with his own sexuality, and several people he knew from his
days at Indian River Community College later said that they always assumed that Nate was
gay and were surprised to learn he was married to a woman. One such
classmate claimed that Nate even tried hitting on him at a local bar. It
was during a time when he was partying hard. He and several classmates would
typically go to nightclubs after their late classes. Some reported that he met several
people through gay dating apps such as Grinder and jacked. On the other hand,
there was clearly some deep confliction within himself, because Nate also had an
episode where he was faced with two men expressing public displays of affection, which
utterly enraged Nate. During the time Nate worked for the security firm, he
was caught making concerning statements to coworkers, which was enough to bring him to
the attention of the FBI, who promptly opened a preliminary investigation into Nate.
He was placed into the bureau's terrorism database, but the FBI declined to comment
on whether he was listed on a no fly list. Nate was being surveilled
by the FBI, who had begun recording his calls and seeking out confidential informants
who could report on his level of radicalism. At one point, the FBI
actually brought Nate in for questioning, and he confessed to making the alleged statements
out of anger towards his coworkers, who had been making fun of him for
being Muslim. The investigation was active for approximately ten months before it was closed
and Nate was determined not to be a threat. Shortly after the case was
Nate was removed from the terrorist watch list. In July of twenty fourteen,
Nate landed on the FBI's radar again after he was linked to a suicide bombing
in Syria from May of twenty fourteen. In July of twenty fourteen, Nate
landed on the FBI's radar again after he was linked to a suicide bombing in
Syria from May of the same year. It was committed by an American who
attended the same mosque as Nate, which is what brought him to their attention.
It's unclear whether anything came from the alert. Nate legally purchased the weapons
used in the shooting. Both were purchased two weeks before at a gun shop
in Port Saint Lucy in June of twenty sixteen. He also tried to purchase
body armour and one thousand rounds of bulk ammunition from a different gun store However,
one of the shop owners became suspicious and refused Nate the sale. One
of the shop's employees claimed to have reported the incident to the FBI, but
they say there is no record of the report. Some time between the initial
gun purchase and the shooting, Nate and his wife returned to the store to
buy AMMO. Between June first and sixth, Nate and his wife visited Disney
World and Disney Springs. Interestingly, they visited during the Gay Day celebration,
and this may have been a few of the many scouting missions disguised as a
family day. Between June fifth and ninth, he transferred his share of a
Port Saint Lucie home to his sister and brother in law for a paltry ten
dollars. Only four days before the shooting, and a mom at a mosque
and kissing Me released a video of Nate. He was praying and the video
went on that way. Well, he was praying and the video went on
that way for ten minutes. Why the video was released isn't known, but
it certainly doesn't seem coincidental. Mere hours before the shooting, Nate visited his
father, who later reported that his son didn't act strangely or out of the
ordinary in any manner. That same day, Nate gave his wife one thousand
dollars before she left the home to go visit her mother in California, which
seemed suspicious enough that the wife was charged, which criminally, with being an
accessory to a crime. A jury later found her not guilty, citing the
prosecution's inability to reach the burden of evidentiary proof. Nate was buried in the
Muslim cemetery of South Florida and Hyalaia Gardens. His cause of death was multiple
gunshot wounds, and the only substance found in his system was caffeine. It
bears mentioning again. The FBI has been reluctant to label the shooting a hate
crime, but the facts are the facts. Ninety percent of the victims were
lgbtqia plus and ninety percent were Latino. The shooter expressed a distaste for the
lgbtqia plus community, and he displayed a very obvious allegiance to foreign terrorist groups.
We all have the unique ability to help prevent such a catastrophic event from
happening if we keep our eyes and ears open and never hesitate to report,
and something or someone just doesn't seem right. With the delicate balance of mental
health reform, education, active shooter training, and common sense gun laws,
we may one day realize the dream, the dream that there will be no
more active shootings. We pray that love will prevail over hate. In the
meantime, we urge our listeners to stay aware of your surroundings and keep in
touch with your loved ones. If you see something, say something, you
never know how many lives you'll be saving. Thank you for listening to today's
episode of Active Shooter the Podcast. Remember, if you see something, say
something, there's no telling how many lives you may be saving. A big
thank you to Darren Curtis, who composed some of the songs on our show.
You can find him online at www dot Darrencurtis music dot com. Make
sure to check us out on social media. You can find us on Facebook
at Active Shooter the Podcast and on Twitter at podcast Active. Thank you and
be safe.