Wellesley institutions respond to Orlando massacre in words and deeds

“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and loved ones in Orlando, Florida, following the tragic events… We stand in solidarity with the people of Orlando, with our LGBTQ friends and family, and join communities both at home and abroad to express our support for all who are grieving over this senseless and tragic loss of lives…As we learned that two of the victims of this vicious attack have ties to Massachusetts, we are reminded of the interconnectedness we share as a people. As an academic community, we are also called to uphold our educational and civic values, including civil discourse, diversity and respect…let us keep each other close and support one another.”

The assailant, 29-year-old American Omar Mateen, entered the nightclub at around 2am on June 12 and started shooting with a Sig Sauer MCX assault rifle at the crowd of approximately 320. About 100 officers from the Orlando Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff”s office were initially dispatched to the scene. At around 5am, Mateen was shot and killed in a gunfight with SWAT officers who entered the building with an armored vehicle that they crashed through a wall.

Pulse Nightclub on their website says, “We grieve with the victims, their families, and our Pulse family, and we thank you all for the outpouring of support and love that is helping us through this tragic time.”

The nightclub’s staff, traumatized and currently out of work, is in need of assistance. If you would like to help out, Pulse has set up an Employee Recovery Fund to provide assistance to its workers who will continue to have monetary needs during what the club is calling its time of recovery. You can donate via secure Paypal account by clicking here, and the club emphasized that all money will go directly to its employees to assist with their daily needs while they are out of work.