Orlando, Strong Love Showed Up in the City Beautifully

If you want to know what hate does, it did it this morning in Orlando. If you want to know what love does, it began in the seconds after the first shot was fired and continued as more and more people showed up out of love.

We are heart broken but with that pain the healing already began and I just witnessed it at the AMC Theater in Altamonte Springs FL. The Red Cross was there and so were hundreds of people. I only lasted about an hour and a half when I had to give up. It was 95 degrees and my row was in the sun. 

There were not just the people standing there waiting to do what they could to help, but an Army of volunteers handing out water bottles, drinks, snacks, ice drenched paper towels and even fans from a radio station.

We talked about how love showed up by the hundreds after one person decided to kill out of hate. That was beautiful.

It was beautiful in face of that mass murderer still taking lives while strangers stopped to help the wounded. It was love that had one after another do whatever they could to help get a terrified person to safety. It was yet again love as the first responders showed up not knowing what they were heading into but ready to take on anyone trying to kill as many as possible.

While a few haters may rejoice and claim they had something to do with it, fear lost this morning. Love won this day and will continue to show up in response to others who will never know what true love feels like.  

Orlando massacre: Deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history
Police confirm 50 dead, 53 others taken to hospitals
WESH 2 News
Jun 12, 2016

ORLANDO, Fla. —Fifty people are dead and at least 50 others were taken to area hospitals after a mass shooting at a downtown Orlando nightclub early Sunday morning, officials have confirmed.

The massacre is now the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

Police said Omar Mateen, 29, was armed with an AR-15 rifle and a handgun when he stormed into the Pulse nightclub off Orange Avenue and Kaley Street about 2 a.m. In a video provided to WESH 2 News, more than 20 shots can be heard.

Officials said more than 300 people were inside the club at the time. "Everyone get out of Pulse and keep running," the club posted on its official Facebook page at 2:09 a.m.
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