More than 50 shot to death, multiple injuries in Orlando Mass Shooting at Downtown Gay Bar

[Jimmy]

We had an amazing vigil last night in Memorial Park with hundreds of people listening to faith leaders, community leaders, elected officials, and others.

Blood donations are off the charts. 

The media is focused on the LGBT community in a way like never before.  I don't know if it's possible to light up bridges, but Jacksonville is doing everything I can imagine to show our solidarity with Orlando.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/candlelight-vigil-for-orlando-victims-set-for-7-pm-in-riverside

https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.midyette/posts/10157039992675230

And tonight, because there's no rest or time to mourn, we'll be at the Duval County School Board to support trans kids.

https://www.facebook.com/events/188491681548023/

I see this as a time to come together; not to be divisive and hateful. 

[SuzySpringfield]

Why weren't Jacksonville's bridges lit up in support for Orlando last night? Hundreds of cities across the world participated, but not Jacksonville..

I know it doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but I think it's fucking shameful.

I'm guessing it's because they only have blue or white lights on them.  Just a hunch.

The Acosta used to run rainbow colors. I've contacted PRI to see if anything could be loaned to the city as the responses from city council members have been ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I mean, I've seen TONS of Jacksonville citizens donating blood for the victims in Orlando, as well as hundreds of people gathered in Memorial Park, but yeah, let's bitch about a bridge.

I'm usually bitching about how LGBT are treated like second class citizens, but yeah, today I'm going to bitch about how the representatives of this city have completely failed to show support to the Orlando victims. I already stated that it doesn't mean much in the long run, but it shows just how little they care. About lighting the bridges, about making it a priority to attend memorial events, about treating LGBT people as they would every other tax paying resident of this county by extending HRO protections to them.

Yeah, I'll be the asshole bitching about bridges while you be that guy bitching about me bitching about bridges.

[Downtown Osprey]

We had an amazing vigil last night in Memorial Park with hundreds of people listening to faith leaders, community leaders, elected officials, and others.

Blood donations are off the charts. 

The media is focused on the LGBT community in a way like never before.  I don't know if it's possible to light up bridges, but Jacksonville is doing everything I can imagine to show our solidarity with Orlando.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/candlelight-vigil-for-orlando-victims-set-for-7-pm-in-riverside

https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.midyette/posts/10157039992675230

And tonight, because there's no rest or time to mourn, we'll be at the Duval County School Board to support trans kids.

https://www.facebook.com/events/188491681548023/

I see this as a time to come together; not to be divisive and hateful.

Thank you, like I said, I feel like our city is doing it's part and will continue to do so, including myself. Far from being "fucking shameful" Just a bizarre take.

[finehoe]

Just a bizarre take.

There's nothing bizarre about wanting some recognition from officialdom to go along with popular support.

[Jimmy]

I hear you.  But it's not like people are sitting on their hands.  More can be done.  Come and do tonight at the School Board meeting.

[Steve]

Why weren't Jacksonville's bridges lit up in support for Orlando last night? Hundreds of cities across the world participated, but not Jacksonville..

Because the Acosta Bridge Lighting was turned off and disabled after it malfunctioned and stopped working and the Main St. Bridge is only one color.

[spuwho]

Equality Florida is managing a GoFundMe account for the victims.

https://www.gofundme.com/PulseVictimsFund

The goal is $1M. They are up to $879k at this posting.

Consider helping those or their families who have been impacted by the horrific event.

The goal has been raised to $3M and they have raised $2.4M dollars so far.  This is great.

Between this and the blood donations, its proof that Americans do care about Americans.

[brainstormer]

Why weren't Jacksonville's bridges lit up in support for Orlando last night? Hundreds of cities across the world participated, but not Jacksonville..

Because the Acosta Bridge Lighting was turned off and disabled after it malfunctioned and stopped working and the Main St. Bridge is only one color.

While every other big city invests in public infrastructure so they have options to light their bridges and buildings, we just have low taxes.

[finehoe]

Other than the fact that 'these guys' aren't the shooter here, I think.

The guy isn't religious, isn't Afghani, and is an American Citizen.  Both his father and his ex wife are claiming that he's not a religious person.

He is young, kind of macho, and homophobic.

News channels interviewed a neighbor who claims that there is a group of gay men in the apartment complex that she saw him visiting frequently.

He was a man who married a woman and then beat her.

Pretty much all the signs point to a guy deep in the closet, with a build up of rage.  It exhibited by beating the woman frequently, followed by anger and disgust with publicly gay people---all while hanging out with gay men in his private life---

My guess is he probably fully consummated some gay sex in such a way that he was on the verge of being exposed.

Speculation, of course, but thats my guess.

Looks like you were right:
http://gawker.com/orlando-shooter-was-reportedly-a-regular-at-pulse-and-h-1781920316

[mtraininjax]

While every other big city invests in public infrastructure so they have options to light their bridges and buildings, we just have low taxes.

You have a choice to make, and doing nothing is also a choice.

[avonjax]

I had planned to come to Orlando for a couple of days and got here today. The overall mood is a little gloomy and there seems to be less people around then normally. I hope people are not allowing this horrible tragedy to keep them away.  As I was driving down one of the saddest stories for me was a report of the police telling how cell phones were constantly ringing among the dead. I can only imagine the heartbreak of the friends and family on the other end of the line. The local news at 11:30 was entirely about the shooting and there was a great interview with one of the club's bouncers who saved 60 or 70 people by risking his life to open a back exit.

I went to Mall of Milinea and the Gucci store was closed for the day. The first thing I thought about was the shooting. I found out later on that two of the employees had been victims of the shooting.

[avonjax]

I'm rarely say things like this on this site. Bill O'Reilly on Stephen Colbert. HE IS AN ASSHOLE!

[avonjax]

All of you right wingers out there know this, the NRA may as well have pulled the trigger Sunday morning.

[JaxJersey-licious]

Other than the fact that 'these guys' aren't the shooter here, I think.

The guy isn't religious, isn't Afghani, and is an American Citizen.  Both his father and his ex wife are claiming that he's not a religious person.

He is young, kind of macho, and homophobic.

News channels interviewed a neighbor who claims that there is a group of gay men in the apartment complex that she saw him visiting frequently.

He was a man who married a woman and then beat her.

Pretty much all the signs point to a guy deep in the closet, with a build up of rage.  It exhibited by beating the woman frequently, followed by anger and disgust with publicly gay people---all while hanging out with gay men in his private life---

My guess is he probably fully consummated some gay sex in such a way that he was on the verge of being exposed.

Speculation, of course, but thats my guess.

Looks like you were right:
http://gawker.com/orlando-shooter-was-reportedly-a-regular-at-pulse-and-h-1781920316

First. my heart aches for the victims and all of those affected by this senseless tragedy in my home state. And kudos to the community getting together donating blood, offering help, and standing in unison to show that hate never wins.

If this is indeed true about the shooter's secret closeted life then some of his motivations could be explained. He obviously had issues with women, very few close friends, and seemed to go really out of his way to show his disgust with homosexual behavior. He also seemed to be very familiar with the layout of this sprawling club even in low light, knew if and when security would be lax enough for him to bring an AR-15 assault rifle inside, and for a person who we thought could care less about Central Florida gay culture knew this would be one of the more heavily attended days for this club.

It's all speculation that will never be fully figured out, but this man had many personal, ethical, and societal conflicts he's been wrestling with his whole life causing this build-up and unleashing of this anger. Yes pride of heritage, how he chose to follow and interpret his faith, his sympathies to Islamist militants, anger against military/government policies and actions, family expectations, struggles with relationships, frustrations at achieving successes in life, hatred of certain groups of people and ultimately hatred of himself may all have been factors in this man's downward spiral. What disappoints me is how many people keep throwing out simplified causalities to explain his and others acting in this most spiteful way.

These are complex problems in a complex time with no all-encompassing solution, but I've learned that taking the time to educate myself about the issues, listening to many different viewpoints, asking questions, reaching out and having discussions, and being kind go a long way in dealing with such tragedies.

[avonjax]

Bill O'Reilly is a freakin' idiot