PHOTOS: Community gathers in Orlando for Pulse 10th anniversary

(Photo by Bellanee Plaza)

ORLANDO | Families, survivors and first responders gathered June 12 at First United Methodist Church in downtown Orlando to honor the lives lost and those forever impacted by the Pulse nightclub tragedy.

The church dimmed its lights and lit candles as attendees remembered the 49 angels. Their names were read aloud, some by loved ones in a video. One young boy read the name of his uncle, 21-year-old Cory James Connell, who he was named after. He said his uncle, who he never got the chance to meet, is the person who inspires him the most.

A bell rang for each of the 49 victims.

The ceremony was also attended by local officials who played key roles in the region’s response to the attack, including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer , Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Orange County Sheriff John Mina, who was chief of the Orlando Police Department a decade ago.

The ceremony also featured performances from the Orlando Gay Chorus and other singers. Orlando’s poet laureate, Camara Gaither, recited a poem she composed for the event, speaking about the victims and their enduring impact in the hearts of their loved ones and the community.

“We still see them luminous, like the stars, feeling both near and far, enough to hold all of this grief and gratitude all at once,” she said. “Showing us how a person’s presence can feel light years away and right next to us at the same time. They are forever embers in our orbit.”

Watermark Out News attended the remembrance ceremony. View our photos below.

Photos by Bellanee Plaza.