The fire started in the stairwell, trapping people on the building's second floor, where the bar was located. Much of the history was swept from memory due to homophobia. No one was ever charged or convicted of the crime. On June 24, 1973, a fire ripped through the Up Stairs Lounge - a gay bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It was 45 years ago this Sunday that one of the worst attacks on the LGBTQ community left 32 people dead.
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Most of the victims were found near the windows in the background.ĭecades before the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 that claimed 49 lives, another deadly attack on LGBTQ Americans took place. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said her thoughts were with the entire LGBTQ2S community.A view inside the Up Stairs bar following a fire that left 32 dead and several more injured, seen on June 25, 1973.
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Trudeau says he and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, are offering condolences and prayers to the families and friends of those lost and wish full recovery to those who were injured in the attack. In a release Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is shocked and saddened by the attack. READ MORE: LGBT community reacts after victims ‘had their futures stolen’įrench President Francois Hollande said in a statement he “condemns with horror” the mass killing in Florida and “expresses the full support of France and the French with America’s authorities and its people in this difficult time.” “Our heart is with our American brothers,” Italian Premier Matteo Renzi tweeted. The Muslim community joins our fellow Americans in repudiating anyone or any group that would claim to justify or excuse such an appalling act of violence," said Rasha Mubarak, Orlando regional coordinator.Ībroad, many world leaders have expressed their support for the United States and the victims. Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We condemn this monstrous attack and offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of all those killed or injured. Hooper of the FBI says Mateen purchased at least two firearms legally within the last week or so. His family was from Afghanistan before they moved to Florida. Mateen, born in 1986 in New York, is a U.S. Police have identified the gunman of the Florida nightclub shooting as Omar Mateen. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said all of the dead were killed with the assault rifle.įBI Special Agent in Charge Ron Hooper said there’s no further threat to Orlando or the surrounding area. “I think we will see the death toll rise,” Cheatham said. Mike Cheatham is a trauma surgeon at Orlando Regional Medical Center where 46 patients were taken. READ MORE: Kevlar helmet saves police officer’s life during Orlando shootingĪt least 53 other people were hospitalized, most in critical condition, officials said. Mina said police have not determined an exact number of casualties, but that over 50 people are dead. Police Chief John Mina also said the shooter had an assault rifle, a handgun and some sort of “suspicious device.” He said the suspect exchanged gunfire with an officer working at the club around 2 a.m., then went back inside and took hostages among more than 320 people inside.Īround 5 a.m., authorities sent in a SWAT team to rescue the hostages, and the suspect then died in a gunfight with those officers. Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in Florida saying officials “will devote every resource available to assist with the shooting in Orlando.”
The massacre is the worst mass shooting in United States history. Mateen has been identified as the gunman who killed 50 people and injured 53 others when he opened fire inside Pulse Nightclub, a crowded Florida gay nightclub, early Sunday morning.