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Victim’s Snapchat footage captures alleged start of Orlando shooting

Horrifying footage from inside Pulse Nightclub has emerged.

 

Alexandra Samuels

Tech

Posted on Jun 13, 2016   Updated on May 26, 2021, 3:08 pm CDT

One of the victims of the tragic massacre at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, was posting videos to Snapchat at the alleged moment shooter Omar Mateen entered the club and opened fire. 

Amanda Alvear, 25, had been posting various clips with friends from inside Pulse throughout the night. During her last post, however, viewers can hear the sound of gunshots ringing in the background. 

According to the Daily Mirror, this is the first footage from inside the nightclub and over a dozen shots are heard. Mercedez Marisol Flores—who the Daily Mirror reports was at the club with Alvear—was also named as one of the victims. 

Many survivors of the traumatic massacre—including DJ Ray Rivera—have said they did not recognize the shots at first. Rivera told WFTV 9 that at first he believed the gunshots were firecrackers. 

Ashley Velez, the sister of Alvear, wrote a Facebook post where she calls her sister “the best God-Mother anyone could ever ask for… You will be missed my angel.” 

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*First Published: Jun 13, 2016, 2:20 pm CDT