You Can’t Unsee These Photos That Captured The Moments Right Before Tragedy Struck

“If You’re Alive Raise Your Hand”

An LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida was attacked on June 12, 2016, when Omar Mateen opened fire on club-goers. The shooting became the deadliest mass shooting by a single shooter and the deadliest act of violence against the LGBT community. The shooting lasted for three hours, as Mateen brutally murdered victims with a Sig Sauer MCX rifle and a Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic pistol that can hold 17 rounds. Those still alive were held hostage during the standoff with police. During the attack, victims took videos and sent messages to loved ones. Amanda Alvear took a video and posted it on Snapchat just as the first shots were fired into the club. When officers first responded to the horrifying scene, they yelled out this haunting line, “If you’re alive, raise your hand.”