RG Cocina Mexicana is with the Victims of Orlando

What was supposed to be a celebration of love and diversity turned into tragedy Saturday night at Orlando, Florida. The 1st year anniversary of the proclamation of Equal Rights in USA was tarnished by the acts of Omar Mateen, who decided to shot at the crowd that was celebrating Latin night at “Pulse” Club.  This is the worst terrorist attack on American soil since The World Trade Center attack in 2001.

The shooter obtained two guns legally, one pistol and one assault rifle within a week before the attack, even though he was on the FBI watch-list. He had been interviewed three times between 2013 and 2014, for making comments about radicalism on his workplace and for his affiliation with an active member of ISIS, that would eventually commit a suicide bomb in Syria. He lived in Fort Pierce and traveled to Orlando specifically to the “Pulse” night club.  His father made claims that his son was homophobic after he saw Omar getting angry at a gay couple kissing in Miami a few months back.

During the night of Saturday 11th, he entered the nightclub with an AR-15 rifle and a handgun, and started shooting. At the beginning of the attack around 2:00am, many people thought the popping sound of the gunshots were part of the show; it was when they heard the screaming that people realized what was happening and started running. He took hostages, and made a phone call to 911 claiming his affiliation to ISIS, stating that he not only had guns, but that he had explosive devices, this last ones were later confirmed false. The Facebook page of Pulse published a comment urging party goers to “Get out of Pulse and keep running”, some of the people inside told their family members to call the police. During this time he killed 49 and wounded 53 people in total, before being taken down by a SWAT team around 5:00am.

While this attack makes us feel unsafe in our own land, we have to remember that we’re the land of the brave and that now more than ever, we should stand together by those affected by the massacre. This was only an act of religious extremism and that in no way represents the whole Muslim community that lives in America.  We at RG Cocina Mexicana offer our support for the LGBT community that was deeply hurt by the acts of Omar Mateen, and the Orlando city, that it’s mourning the loss of those innocent victims. Always remember #MoreLoveLessHate #StopTheHate