ATLANTA — Friday marks 10 years since a terrorist attacked the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
A total of 49 people were killed, and nearly 60 others were hurt.
Channel 2’s Jorge Estevez went back to the site of the nightclub and caught up with one of the survivors from that night.
For Ricardo Negron, the club may be gone, but his memories are still very fresh.
“It was booming, it was the place to be,” Negron said about the nightclub.
He said shortly after moving to Orlando, Pulse became his spot.
“Me, coming here from Puerto Rico, it was like the place to feel connected,” Negron said.
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The night of the terror attack, Negron told Estevez that the evening started like every other Saturday night.
“Then around 2 a.m., you heard the gunshots,” Estevez said.
“Yes, I remember being by the main dance floor. I’m pretty sure I was trying to cash out,” Negron said.
At first, Negron thought the noise was coming from outside.
“Once you realized what you heard wasn’t outside but inside, what did you do?” Estevez asked Negron.
“It was like an immediate sense of panic. We’re all on the floor,” Negron said.
Negron was near an exit and ran.
“When you think back at those moments, the gunfire, the ducking, the quiet, the running, the gate, you flash that all through your mind. What sticks out to you?” Estevez asked Negron.
“It’s always the sound. The sound of the shots,” Negron said.
Today, Negron said he doesn’t like going out to places where it’s too loud.
“Very loud music will trigger that same feeling,” he said.
For Negron, he’s trying to be more present and finds comfort in knowing there will be a permanent memorial here one day soon.
“For me, it will definitely bring closure,” Negron said.
As for the 49 souls lost that day…
“What would you say to them 10 years later? The families?” Estevez asked.
“They each have their journey. It’s not fair for anyone to tell them how they should feel. They are loved by the community,” Negron said.
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