Haunted Islands in Latin America and the Pulse Nightclub Shooting

Hi everyone. This is Christina and this is MJ and Carmen and this is another episode of a Spooky Tell. It's a podcast for all things spooky and true crime. That's right, we do both now most of the time. Today is my part's depressing. MJ's is not that depressing, and so that's cool. And Carmen's going to read the listener's story. And before you read the listener's story, I can't talk again. Sorryday, Yeah, it don't work anymore anyway. If you have a listener story that you want to send into the podcast, you can email Spookitos at gmail dot com. You can DM us on any of the socials. You can submit it on Discord. More people are hopping on and sharing their stories on Discord and I love it. We just someone else just sent another one through. There. There's a channel literally called submit a story and what else? Oh call the a spooky hotline. That's another option. The numbers in the show notes and yeah, those are our ways you can send us your story once. I guess I should everyone the topic just so that everyone knows. I'm just going to be sharing a couple legends from like touristy haunted legends, I guess, and then something about the Vatican made a report, Vatican and Harvard report. Yes, some paranormal news, I guess. Yes, And then I'll be talking about the post nightclip shooting. So just the warning about that if anyone wants to skip that part. Okay, are we good? Are we ready for the listener's story? Yes? Ready, all right? This is from Vanessa, who uses day them pronouns. Thanks for normalizing pronouns. We love it, yes, so, Vanessa says, highest spookies. Oh also content warning for unspecified child abuse and shitty parents who don't believe victims, so Vanessa says, highest bookies. Adore you, guys and the pod. Thank you for highlighting our people's stories and for speaking up about social justice issues. Nobody's doing it like y'all, and I'm excited to tune every week. Thank you, Vanessa, Yes, thank you. One rainy Friday evening in Seattle, I was sitting on my couch with a hot cup of tea. The lights were dimmed, curtainstrawn, and I had the sliding glass door cracks so I could listen to the soft pattern of the rain. Sounds relaxing, but wait for this Suddenly I heard a woman sobbing right south. Can you talk? Because I was so scared? Okay, loop start over. Suddenly I heard a woman sobbing right outside the open door. It sounded right and things for me. Close the door, lock way to ruin the such a relaxing in evening like Seriously, it sounded like she'd walked the length of the door, and when she got to the end, the sobbing suddenly stopped. I was in shock because a crying woman interrupted my rain ASMR. But I also felt a deep sense of sadness, not what I would have felt. But okay, it's unlikely a human climbed the fence just to sob outside my back door. Yeah. After sitting in shocked silence for a few minutes, I closed and unlocked the door without looking outside. I have no kids, and a supernatural woman's crying outside in the rain. That's none of my business. Sorry, sorrows prayers. That night I dreamt I was sixteen or seventeen years old and trying to convince my mom to leave her abusive boyfriend. In the dream, he was a busy me and I wanted her to leave him, so no harm came to my younger siblings. She ended up kicking me out of the house instead. I woke up with that same deep sense of stadness and with a strong urge to talk to my sister, who lives in the two oh nine shout out two nine. After sharing everything with her, she said she spent the weekend helping out in the Queen's child with almost the exact same situation I dreamt about. Oh, the situation was hard and very emotionally taxing on her. My call gave her an outlet to vent and process her thoughts and emotions. Thanks to the Weeping Woman, I was able to be there for my big sister, who's an absolute saint and is always there for others. Thank you and stay a spooky wow wow. Okay, horrifying beginning, terrifying, absolutely terrifying. Oh my god, I would have just died. But the ending was so sweet. Yeah, that's cute. I guess she did a good thing by I don't know, somehow letting her premonition dream brought on by Okayna, I mean, honestly, it sounds like she does more good things than bad to me. Okay, Roona, we see you, but don't come for me. No, I don't hear a kids by the river. Wow, but no, seriously, thank you for sending your story. That is yeah, like we said, horrifying in the beginning, but yeah, very sweet in the end. Yeah. I was so scared and it just got worse when she said like the crying stopped, like when she got to the door or whatever, the end of the door. Terrifying. Yeah. Yeah, so that's why you keep your doors closed, guys. Honestly, you wanted to hear the rain, especially at night, Like I understand why any hear of the rainet That sounds super relaxing. But no, no, no for me. I think there's a playlist of rain sounds on Spotify. You know it safe. It's safe as whenever I don't have my sound machine for my kids, I just play rain on Spotify. It's safer, guys, Okay, yeah, yeah, keep some bugs out too, that too, Okay, So I go first or you? Yeah, okay. So this is Carabeing Hauntings encryptid. So the first one is from Roatan Bay Islands and Onduras and so Roatans is an island forty miles north of mainland. It's frequented by many tourists every year, and even though it's not full of all inclusive resorts like Kankun or Puntakana, several big cruise ships like Norwegian Cruise Lines offer several cruises to the island every year. The island is popular with tourists because of its excursions, local animal life and cuisine. But before I get into the reporting hauntings that are happening on the island, here are some background or fun facts about the island. Oh I love on facts. Roatan is the largest and most developed of the Bay Islands. By the seventeenth century, more than five thousand pirates lived on the island of Rowatan, and famous pirates like Blackbeard, Van Horn and Henry Morgan have visited it. I can never say it visited it there we go, good job, but wow. Roatan is home to the second largest coral reef in the world, the Mesoamerican Reef, giving the perfect opportunity for snorkelers and divers to explore an underwater garden. This reef stretches seven hundred miles all the way from the Yucatan Peninsula to the Bay Islands. In seventeen ninety seven, the island began to be inhabited by Black Caribs who were initially from Saint Vincent but were then deported by the British. More than five thousand Black Caribs were deported, but when the deportees landed on Roatan on April twelfth, seventeen ninety seven, only about two thousand, five hundred had survived the trip to the island. Oh my god, Oh my god, I'm sorry. Those the numbers went over right over my head. What are they? Oh? Yeah, krmen need's numbers twice. Okay. It says more than five thousand Black Carabs were deported, but when the deportees landed on Rohtent Island on April twelfth, seventeen ninety seven, only about two thousand, five hundred have survived, so about half oh Wow died. They established a settlement of Punta Borda and later became known as the Garifuna people. Their descendants lived there to this day and still speak the Garifuna language, create the culture's unique music, and perform traditional dances. The island is home to two cruise ship ports. Roatan, especially its caves, are said to be haunted by duppies, which is the local word for ghosts. And comes from West Indian folklore. According to locals, pirates would hide their treasure in the caves. Local legends said that the pirates would always kill a man over the spot they hid their treasure, so the ghosts of their victim would guard their treasure. That's one way to do it. Literally, they went from zero to one hundred real quick. The islanders are also scared of the duppies that, even though they believe they're buried treasure in the cave, they won't go looking for it because they believe the duppies will punish them if they do. Others believe that after years of guarding the treasure from looters, duppies actually get bored and make themselves visible to the people and then guide them to the treasure. Oh okay. Locals also believe that nearby island of Santa Elena is haunted by pirates. No one lives on the island, which is quite large and completely covered in palm trees. Some other locals go there during the day to collect sand and palm France, but they all leave before sunset and never attempt to go there at night, since that's reportedly when the duppies come out. Smart very okay. And this next story is those bmbns bmbns. Oh I saw this word. I thought it was, yeah, something like that bmbns. Bmb is that I never bembians. I'm going to go with what you said, Yeah, something like that. And it's in bao Uruco, Dominican Republic. Loos. Bimbianists are a Dominican cryptid that live in the mountains of Vauruco, which is a province in the southwestern part of the country. The province is also home to Lake Endriguillo and Nieba Mountain Range, which helped to draw tourists to the area, but be aware that if you visit the area, you might come across a bimbian. According to reports, these strange humanoids were first sighted around the seventeen hundreds. Local legends says that they're believed to have once been enslaved Native Americans and Africans who escaped white settlers and hid in the mountains. Eventually, as time went on, the people mutated into those Bimbians, which are described as half human creatures that are about the size of child and walk backwards. These cryptids also grunt and graul when communication with each other. Are known to be agile, good climbers, aggressive, and unfriends. Those bmbns usually hide in the mountains during the daytime, but come out in groups at night to hunt for food. Eating humans isn't out of the question for the bmbns either. Some are even said to hunt down humans to use them as human sacrifices. It's said that the bmbns also elude captivity for centuries because their backwards feet make it hard to follow their tracks. Interesting, this feels racist. Two, this reminds me of two things. Lasi Waa, which is another legend from the Dominican Republic. I feel like we've talked about Lasia. Yes, yes, okay, you I thought so, yeah, okay. And I mean just a reminder of the Seawapa, like, according to legend, is a I mean it's not a human, but it's like human like, but their feet are backwards, they have very long hair, they're short but not like tiny like a luende. And they live in the jungles of the Dominican Republic, and they like lure men into the jungle and kill them. Yes, but it also reminded me of the Dwen, which is a when they like thing from Nia and Tobago. So yeah, very I mean they're all very similar to medwhen this and these things and even see wapas when they like so so yeah interesting. It has that like little people think like lower tropyaom and aren't his feet also back? I think so yeah, and he's short too, so very interesting. That was it. That was it? You have your okay, you want me to do that? Okay. This is a little like paranormal news that I found interesting because I guess it's international news when you think about it. Okay. So. Harvard scientists suggests that aliens may be living among us in a study title the Crypto Terrestrial Hypothesis, A Case for scientific Openness to a concealed Earthly Explanation for Unidentified anomalist Phenomena. That is the title. That's a long title, and also the thought of aliens of it among us? No, thank you, very cool. Oh. In this study, we were given three hypotheses to explain UAPs. The first hypothesis is that these UAPs come from an ancient human civilization that has branched off and has more advanced tech than we do. I've heard this one and this in theory has been popular in the UFO community for I feel like decades, I can see this being plausible explanation. I mean, there are many there were many species of human and like it's not always Homo sapiens. You had like Neanderthals and Sovians just to name a few. And I mean, so far twenty one human species have been identified by scientists. Homo sapiens aka us lived among other species of human for a while, which is why it suggests we have Uncanny Valley. It's human, but not quite. It's probably to help us tell the difference between other human hominid species. A lot of people think that Homo sapiens were the smartest of all the human species, but that's not true. So much evidence has come forward about Neanderthals Neanderthals my bad, being dummies, right, yeah they were, but they were actually extremely smart. They had their own language culture, and they were the first species of human to bury that they're dead with flowers as a symbol for mourning. Wow, they're just like uds. Yeah, And actually almost every single human on the planet has uh some Neanderthal DNA. Interesting, I thought it was like seventy percent of people that's the majority. Fool, You're right, and the people with the highest Like I guess DNA of Neanderthals are white, are the whites or the Europeans. So Homo floriensis, aka the real life Hobbits actually fit the hype for great aliens. So actually that is cute. Yeah, they were like three feet tall and they were they were discovered in Indonesia a few years back. So I can see where this theory has its merit, especially because like technically Neanderthals didn't go extinct, they kind of like mixed with Homo sapiens, So I get it. Yeah, and it's totally plausible too that there was like some other like Homo sapien civilization that was just like I'm not with this mess with your little wars and I'm just going to do and keep protecting my people. And I could totally see that happening. So the second theory is another species non human that had evolved intelligently outside of prominants. That would be like I saw that one article suggested like a smart reptile that had evolved from the dinosaurs. Oh, is this where reptilians come from? Which also reminded me of that. But I can see that reptilians like the QAnon theory, I guess, but like they just I don't think they suggest that they like shape shift. Reptilians were encrypted before q oh, and they just kind of like took it. Yeah, and I feel like this is also doesn't mean like they actually shape shift into humans. They just feel like this is like a speci of some kind of animals that lived before that became intelligent. And this can go many ways, Like if you think about it, octopuses are really smart, like really really intelligent. I don't eat them because I feel like they're too sentient. I also don't eat squid because I also feel it's too sentient with Calamari squid. Okay, oops, I love it too, but I was like, oh, they're just too smart, They're too sentient. There's several animals that I could see like maybe in a few million years and maybe this happened before. So yeah, so why not super smart super scient something from back back, Yeah, two hundred million years ago. God is smart as us, you know. The last theory is time travel like time traveling humans, which I've heard this one, which is like the one that everybody really thinks it is, which is like so Harvard is actually like taking all this into consideration, which I think is crazy. Well, I feel like ever since that one report where the government like acknowledged you, I think everywhere has gotten a little more accepting of the idea of all of this, All of this what the scientist said is like the you know, the tic tac ufo and stuff. Nothing, none of it makes sense, Like it's so outlandish, but it's real that why can't we have outlandish series and then disprove one by one until we get to the correct one. These three theories are not as outlandish as you really think they are, which is crazy in itself because it took like decades and people being called crazy, and here here's Harvard scientists saying like, hey, maybe yeah, so a lot of people are owed an apology I think, being called crazy and yeah, okay, So this next paranormal report, the Vatican released NU guidelines regarding the supernatural phenomenon miracles, apparitions, et cetera, So basically new guidelines regarding how the Vatican will qualify something as supernatural. The talk about aliens was asked to the Vatican and they basically said that it isn't their field of operation and they don't know anything regarding that, and pretty much if a Catholic member of the faith requires help, then they will do what they can, but they are not involved in it. Okay, So basically they were like, we don't know her. They said, they don't know much about it, but if someone of the Catholic faith asks, they're going to help a little bit and investigate the care. But they are not ruling out the possibilities of aliens either. However, the guidelines that are about miracles and the beautification of saints. Basically, to dumb it down a bit, science has to rule out everything, and once you rule out everything and there's still no explanation, then you have a miracle and or something paranormal. And due to today's technology, anyone with a phone can create a miracle. So the criteria in order for something to be deemed unexplained has become more difficult. Science basically cannot explain it and it has to be an anomaly medical or otherwise. But the Vaticans guidelines are mostly for operations of mary and how they will rule them out. However, interestingly enough, the Vatican does have a term for UFOs slash UAPs. They call them rests in esplicate volants, which is Latin for unexplained flying things. That sounds cool. I like the name. I like it, yeah. And what does UAP have to do with Maryan apparitions? Many of the sightings of Mary have been linked to UAP activity. For instance, the apparition of the Lady of Fatima. I'm just shocked. Yeah, So, for instance, the apparition of the Lady of Fatima in Portugal was a UAP's. It was an unidentified aerial phenomenon which the Catholic Church and other scientists who who were studying it still cannot be like it was this it was that it was actual UAP. And these guidelines are great for a number of reasons, when the Vatican will now be the only deciding body when it comes to apparitions, and while many will be like what why the Vatican in which I understand this helps prevent people from being taken advantage of impoverished people in the Catholic community may spend what little money they have in hopes of a miracle by going to one of these places, and there is an alleged apparition. They don't want people in desperate situations to be taken advantage of opinions of the Catholic Church as side. This is a good step to take to minimize the exploitation of impoverished Catholic communities. It is an important thing to do. How many of us in the Latin American community have heard of or no of people being taken advantage of when it comes to curanderos and other things. When people are desperate and looking for a miracle for their ailments. It is a problem and it is an important step to take. Okay, you know this precaution that they are taking. She for grandparents who are like, see something on the internet and then they're like, oh did you see you know, Jesus was here, and it's like no, no, this is ai. Yeah, and that is all interesting, very interesting. Okay. Well, on that note, we're going to take an out of break and then we'll come back for my part, which is a depressing part. So welcome to our Hunted Break. 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I'm trying to fix my sticker machine, so those are not happening for the moment, but they will be. If you join the Highest Cere, you'll get an exclusive keychain. I just ordered more so new eight dollar members be ready for those. But don't worry. If you cannot support us monetarily, then you are not missing out on anything. The best support that you can give us is just listening to our episodes here, So thank you for doing that. Okay, we're back. Okay. So, yes, I am talking about the Pulse nightclub shooting. You know, just trigger warning for like mass murder, and yeah, I think that covers it. Okay, So to go a little bit into what happened that day and then we'll go to more details. But on June twelve, twenty sixteen, a gunman opened fire at the Post nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Forty nine people were killed and fifty three were wounded, and over ninety percent of those who were killed and wounded. I mean, we're Latino, Latine, LATINX and it's Pride month, and this horrific crime truly affected the Latina community of Florida, and I mean like all over the US really, and I feel like only the Latina organizations were the ones like really talking about how this was the Latina community that was mostly affected. Yeah, So to speak a little bit as someone that puts the B in LGBTQ and has been part of the community, there's a lot of racist white LGBTQ people, a lot of too many really, and then they use their identity to like justify like, yeah, it's called pink washing. It's an issue like how are you going to be marginalized part of a marginalized community and continue to marginalize others. But because at the end of the day, they're still white. Yeah, that's true, and they're align with white supremacy, So it is. It's a huge issue. It's a huge issue. Yeah, And these things are all tied, as we say many times here on as pooky tails. And so that's why I wanted to talk about it today because it was a crime that affected the Latina community, the LGBTQ plus Latina community, and I've been wanting to cover for a while, and now that we're doing true crime in every episode, I was like, this is the perfect time. It's Pride Month. So yeah, so to get into the club first. Pulse was founded in two thousand and four by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler. Barbara named the club Pulls after her brother John, who had died from AIDS in nineteen ninety one. She said, it's name for John's pulse to live on, which I am. I crying right now when I was reading it before John became sick. He was the life of the party, and he introduced Barbara to the underground night Live where they grew up in for Lauderdale, and so they were out partying together. He was, you know, showing her the scene and she didn't know anything about it, but she felt so welcomed, even though she wasn't part of Like she wasn't any type of uh RGBTQ herself. Yes, thank you, but she just felt so welcome. You know, there is something about gay clubs like there's nothing else like it out there. I love. They really are inclusive and protective of femininity, in which I can appreciate because it's one of the few places where femininity is accepted and loved and celebrated. Yes, yeah, yeah, I love it. And you're least likely to be grow up there. Also, though it is a problem, I heard it as a problem that a lot of straight women bring their straight partners. Yeah, leave them at home. Nobody wants them there. Also, I don't I feel like if you're just with your straight friends, you shouldn't go there, but if you're with your gay friends, you can't go there. It's a good rule. Yeah, because you hear about bachelorette parties and they're not like they're just like straight and they go there, you know, and I'm like, I don't. I don't know if that's right. I feel. I do understand though, like the safety, the wanting the safety thing, because yeah, I get that too, but also be aware and don't be disrespectful. Like a lot of times what is called self aware. Be self aware because a lot of people are not and they go into places where there are guests and they don't behave like guests. Yeah, behave like a guest. Okay, that's the rule. And I don't know if you're going to get into it, but I know, like, oh, for a lot of LGBTQ people when they go to like gay club and stuff, it's like it's more than just like going out, like if I were to go to the club and dance, you know what I mean, Like because it's one of the first places that probably is welcoming and celebrating and of accepting of who they are. So it's like it's it's so much more like communal. And yes, it's funny you say that because Barbara even on the website of polls, she said it's more than a club's on there, and yeah it is, and that's what she felt like when she was partying with her with her brother. And so when he died in nineteen eety one after battling HIV which turned into AIDS for years, that's when she opened Polls to create a place like where what he first introduced her to. She wanted to make that for everyone. And so it was a gay bar, a gay club, but it was so much more than that. It was a safe place for the LGBTU plus community and it served also as a place for the community to learn about HIV prevention, breast cancer awareness, and immigrant rights. Wow, they did all of that too, and they partnered with a lot of educational and advocacy groups like Come Out with Pride and Equality Florida. So really more than just a club and like lead that out in all senses. Yeah, and so the club again more than a club. It was very very popular. There was in a list of Orlando in like the top ten clubs and so. On June eleventh, twenty sixteen, it was the club's weekly Latin night and it was packed. Clubgoers were having a good time, dancing, drinking, drag. Queen Kenya Michaels, a rue Paul Drag Race contestant had just finished performing and it was amazing. And then last call was announced around two am, and so now it was Tune twelve. There were about three hundred and twenty people in the club when last call was announced, and then out of nowhere, gunshots were fired near the entrance. Adam Gruhler, who was an off duty officer working that night as a security guard, he was armed, and so he pulled out his gun and he tried to shoot back at the gunman and their gun battle was brief because the gunman had a semi automatic rifle and a semi automatic pistol, and so Adam Gruler he had to retreat because he was like my weapon, I can't like I'm not I don't have enough firepower to like try and get him. So he you know, retreated and hit somewhere, and he called for backup. And because he was an officer, I think, and he was the one that called for backup aside from like maybe phone calls that club goer's room, making the police are very quickly two oh four, So in four minutes, wow, wow, yeah, And I heard, Yeah, that is unheard of because their take for fucking ever. Yeah, yeah, so it was an additional units, so I think a pair of officers together in their car. But still, like that was very fast. So as he retreats, the gunman continues firing, hitting at least a dozen club goers, like within seconds. Panic obviously ensued. You know, people are running away and he's just killing them as they're trying to run away. So the additional officers arrived at two o four. When they got inside, Adam told them the gunman was on the patio and then the officers joined him where they were trying to fight out the gunmen together in hopes of stopping him, and the gunman was firing back at the officers, but then he ran into one of the bathrooms, which then created a hostage situation because a ton of people ran into the bathroom to try and hide when they first heard gunshots. So at two o nine, there was a warning appeared on the club, the club's Facebook page that said everyone get out of polls and keep running. Oh my god, that's so, that's so horrible. Yeah, some people were able to do so, and not everyone could, Like people were trapped and and he'll cologne he had been at the club with his friends when they heard the gunshots and they ran, but Hill was shot three times when they were running away, and he fell and then he was trampled because there was so many people there, so he was stuck on the floor and he saw as the gunman was just shooting the people around him, but he played dead and he survived. Oh my god, it's just like it's so horrifying. Ray Ravenna, he was the DJ that night. He took cover behind his booth and then hit two other people with him, and the three were able to escape together. And there was a lot of people that had been wounded, but they were still alive playing dead on the dance floor, which worked through some people and some people. I didn't Swat arrived around to eighteen, So again that's pretty fast because everything started at two am. The gunman was still in the bathroom, and so someone else that was at the club, Patients Carter. She was there with her friends. She was on vacation with them. They had arrived two posts at bed night and before everything happened. She described the night as magical and like she felt, I don't know alive, welcomed, loved for the first time, like at any place she had been before. So they were, yeah, having like the night of their life before everything went down. When they heard gunshots, they were confused because, like it's dark, there's very loud of music. At first they thought it was fireworks, but then they saw other people running, so they ran outside. And when her and her friends got outside, they you know, did a headcount to make sure everyone was there. But one friend was missing. Oh my god, I can't imagine the fear that they must know. And I don't know, maybe the guild. They went back inside, oh my god, to find their friend. My god, And when I read that, I cried because, like not to get a little head, but Patience was the only one who survives out of her friends. I'm gonna cry right now. I know. It's horrible. I'm so the group, you know. They ran back and started to find their friend. But at this point they saw the gunmen like you know, in their direction, and they ran into the bathroom to hide because they saw other people running into how they became part of the host. They became part of the horses. My god. When they were running into the bathroom, another guy was following them behind them. He pushed them inside closed the door to try and stop the guy from going into the bathroom. Oh my god, but the gunman just killed him and went inside the bathroom. But like it was like, there's so many people that die trying to save other people. I mean, so much bravery here. I Mean it's it's so hard to hear, but I feel like that's what needs to be highlighted, like the people who were there. Yeah, m because that's like really unheard of, Like you rarely see in American culture where it's like it's a very MEMI me culture, but you have these minority cultures and they're really like ten toes down for each other. Yeah, And that's the thing when there's like crisis situations like this, I don't think it matters where you are what's happening. There's always going to be people like the guy who pushed them into the bathroom and stood at the doorway always. The gunman, you know, entered the bathroom anyway, and as soon as he entered he opened fire. At some point he stopped, you know, after leaving like a trail of people. And so when he stopped, the phones were going off like crazy because the people that were still alive in there were messaging their loved ones. He left the bathroom for a second, but then immediately went back in, and this time he pulled out his phone and called nine one one, and he told the operator like, you know, because they asked, like, what's your name? That's one of the first things I ask you when you call nine one one, And he didn't never say it. He just said in the name of God the Merciful in Arabic. Then he said Praise be to God. And then he said, you know, and the operator repeatedly is like, okay, what's your name, Like, what's your name? And he just never said it. And so then when she asked like the third time, he said that he was the one in Orlando and he did the shooting, and you know, the operator keeps trying to get his name, and the gunman keeps talking about how he's acting in the behalf or acting on the behalf of the Islamic state. He hangs up suddenly, and then he calls the local news and then tells the local news that he did this on the behalf of Isis. But the thing is, he's naming all these different groups that don't like work together. Ever, he's like he's not actually a part of these groups. No, he's not, which is important to like say, this was a lone person acting doing this. He was really not a representative of any of anyone, you know. So he tells them he did this on the behalf of ISIS and another point, he says, he does this on the behalf of Hezbola, like all these Okaeda, like all these different groups. He also posted on Facebook. He tells the news he's the fourth shooter, and then there's bombs inside. He also texted his wife around four in the morning and she's like, where are you. She had no idea this was happening. And then he asks have you seen the news? And she said no. And the last thing he replied to her is I love you. And that was it. So, you know, like at this point, it's been hours since two am, and people are still stuck in the bathroom with him. They're having to hear him say these things, Oh my god. Hiding underneath like other bodies, you know, there's a phone that keeps going off and said the bathroom, and the gunman is getting angrier and angrier about the phone, and honest, like he keeps yelling for the phone to stop or whoever has the phone like to shut it off, but like the phone probably belonged to someone who was not alive anymore. Yeah, and couldn't shut it off. And so patients who was in one of the stalls through her phone and said it was hers, which wasn't. But this calmed him down. This probably saved everyone else that was in there. Wow. And just ah, my god, I can't get over like the bravery because she didn't know how he was going to react, Like what if that set him off and cause him to shoot her, you know, yeah, so brave. Yeah, and she's inside on the stall, so she just throws it over the staller under I'm not sure, but either one. So at some point police are able to pull off an AC that was attached to a window in one of the dressing rooms. Some people are able to escape through there. This was around four twenty am. Oh my god. Then you know everyone can hear police, you know, through like outside, yelling for people to move away from the walls, but some people couldn't because it would reveal that they're alive, putting them at risk for being killed. So they you know, set off these explosions to try and get inside, but the explosion is too small. They don't fit. And also the explosion caused a pipe to burst in the bathroom, which is now quickly filling with water. Oh my god, I hope not sewer water like probably, but also like it's filling up quick also putting the people that are like on the floor, they're like underround the bodies. Yeah, and they don't want to move because they've been faking that they're dead, right, Yeah, Patients was underneath a dead person when this happened. And then so now she's worried about drowning. So now the gunman probably trying to like get away from police or like thinking police aren't going to shoot me if I'm like near more people. He kicks selling one of the bathroom stalls and goes inside, and this is where Patients is, oh, oh my god. And then he starts firing at people one by one inside the stall, including the person that Patients was hiding under, but she was okay. The police finally were able to breach the building and they fired at the gunman. There was about one hundred and fifty gunshots fired and eight hit him, killing him. And this was around five to fifty am. From what I can tell, these gunshots only killed him, no other people, because that's something I mean, that's a lot. Yeah, that's all around. Yeah, So this was around five fifty am. Once he was hit, the SWAT team rushed into the bathroom and they asked people, the people in there if there was anyone else, because they thought that there was more gunmen and more people attacking, because he said he was the fourth one when he was talking to the news, but you know, they all yelled out like desperately, like no, he was the only one. And so then SWAT started carrying out the survivors and the gunman. He was identified on the news like nationally around ten to fifteen am of that day, and in the end, thirty nine people died at the club, and then another ten either in the hospital or on the way to the hospital. And up to this day, this was the deadliest mass shooting attack in the United States. It's just so sad, and it's also sad that you have to say to this day because or to that day, like up to that day, because after this, the Las Vegas Strip shooting, which was even more people. So it's just this it's depressing, Yeah, and just to name the victims here. So I did find and thanks because I listened to like three or four episodes to like just see what else was out there that I missed on, like the different news articles and sources that I had, and the Generation Why podcasts had an episode where they had information on the victims, just like a little bit. It's something that families and friends said. So that's where I got this information from, because I couldn't find any that any of that online. Oh, I'm going to check that episode out. I used to listen to them, and then I stopped for whatever reason. Oh sometimes yeah, they're very detailed. Well not sometimes they're very detailed, but sometimes their voices made me tired. That's why I stopped listening. They do have like very soothene voices. Yeah too soothinge. I'm like yeah, yeah, but their episode on this this is where I got the following information about the victims. So Stanley al the third he was twenty three, so young, yeah, so young. Friends and family said about him he made people feel welcome and loved. A friend of his said that he made them feel like it was okay to be who they were because they had just come out and they were like new to everything and with him they could be themselves. Amanda Alveare was twenty five. She was there with her friend Mercedes, who also passed away. She was the best Thia two your little neibblings, and had just gone shopping with them that weekend. She wanted to be a nurse. Oscard Arasena Montero was twenty six. He was there with his partner Simon. They had just returned from a trip together and they had just bought a home together. Rodolfo Ayala was thirty three. He was an employee at a blood donation center and he just wanted to help people and make a difference, and he felt like every day he made a difference helping people get blood. Alexandro Barrios Martinez was twenty one. He was a Cuban immigrant and his family misses him. Martin Benitez Torres was thirty three. He was a student, a university student on vacation visiting family when this happened. Antonio Brown was thirty. He was an army captain in the reserves, and everyone about him said he was always smiling, always helping people. Darryl Bert the Second was twenty nine and his friends and family said he always had a smile on his face. Jonathan Camui Vega was twenty four. He worked for Telemundo and he was a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Angel Candelario Padro was twenty eight. He was a zumba instructor and from Puerto Rico, and his classes were probably like really good. I'm sure yeah, some zumba instructors like Devo Stancors. I feel so dumb trying to like follow it. I'm like, damn, will sho got downs like that. Simon Carrio Fernandez was thirty one. I couldn't find any more information on him. Chews Martinez was twenty five. He was the youngest of six children, and his siblings described him as the best brother ever. Louis Conde was thirty nine. He was there with his partner and they died together, and they were both described as extraordinary humans. Corey Cornell was twenty one. He wanted to be a firefighter, that was his dream, and he was there with his girlfriend, who survived the attack. Tevin Crosby was twenty five and his friends said about him that he had the best laugh and he spread joy wherever he went Frankie. The Jesus Velasquez was fifty and he was a professional dancer and also worked out forever twenty one. Deanka Drayton who went by Didi, was thirty two and she was a bartender up Pols and she was just turning her life around after like a bunch of hardships. She had just started hanging out with friends and family more often. She started going to church. People could see like she was just feeling better and like turning her life around. Merceles Flores was twenty six from Queens, New York, on vacation in Florida. She was studying literature at the community college. Peter Gonzalez Cruz was twenty two and he went by Ami. That was his nickname, and he friends and family said that he made a difference everywhere he went. Juan Guerrero was twenty two and he was attending university. He had just come out and he was so scared to do it, but his family was so accepting of him. Paul t. Henry was forty one. He is survived by his two kids and he loved to dance. Frank Ernandez, who went by Frankie, was there with his partner and they both passed away. Miguel Honorato was thirty and he left behind three kids. He was at the club with his brother and friend and he was the only one that didn't make it that night. Javier Jorge Rees was forty. He went by Javi. He was in Puerto Rico and he was described as always positive and outgoing and just the loveliest friend to have. Jason Josephatt was nineteen and he was just figuring out his life. I'm like so young. Yeah, he had just decided he wanted to get a degree in computer science, and he was, you know, finding all sorts of new hobbies to get into, like photography. Eddie Justice was thirty and his mom Mina describes him as loving all people. He loved to make people laugh. She moved that they're losing her son, but she returns every anniversary of the shooting to connect with other families and share in their grief. Anthony Laourano de Isla was twenty five and he was said to be an amazing drag performer. He was the life of the party and he was attending college at the time. I couldn't find much about Christopher Leonin. I don't know how to say his last same, sorry, but he was thirty two. Brenda Marquez McCool was forty nine, and she was the mother of eleven wow and a grandmother of six. And she was there with her twenty one year old son who survived. And she was a cancer survivor as well, and a fierce LGBT ali after like you know, a few of her children had come out. She was always supporting and I mean just the fact she was there with her son, coming with her son, that's just I don't know. Jean Mendez Prees was thirty five, born in Puerto Rico. Akira Money Murray was eighteen. She was one of patients's friends. She was you know, on vacation as well. She loved basketball and she was described as a natural leader. Kimberly Morris was thirty seven. She was a bouncer at polls. She loved basketball and had just moved from Hawaii to Florida to try and you know, make money to help her family back home. Jean Nievez Rodriguez was twenty seven. He was from Puerto Rico, a general manager at a Czeck cashing service, and friends described him as a giant Teddy bear. Louis Ocasio Kappel was twenty. He was an amazing dancer and always willing to help anyone in need. Heraldo or Tisi Menez was twenty five. He was in law school. He was a proud Dominican and an amazing dancer. Eric Ivan Ortiz Riveta was thirty six. He was the one in his family all of his family went to for advice and he happily obliged. He was also super creative and was about to become an interior designer. Juel Draion Paniagua was thirty two and he was described as always humble, cheerful, and also loved to dance. Enrique Rios Junior was twenty five. He was a vacation from Brooklyn, where he attended university. He was described as super funny and a great person. And then Juan Rivera Alaskiez was thirty seven. I can find information on him, unfortunately. Jill Marii Rodriguez Solivan was twenty four. She survived by her two sons and her husband. She was said to light out the room and had the best smile and a laugh that was like so infectious when you heard her laughing, you also had to laugh with her, which those are like the best lass best laughs. Yeah. Christopher San Felice was twenty four. He was from Tampa, but the family had immigrated from Cuba. His older brother wrote that he was the most important person in his family, the light of the family, and the strongest person he ever knew. Javier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado was thirty five. He was a professional dancer and he performed for Disney Live. And he inspired others to come out of their shell and he was always happy. He survived by a young son. Hilberto Ramon Silva Menendez was twenty five. He worked at a grocery store and was working on a degree in healthcare management. He had also moved from Puerto Rico. Edward Sotomayo Junior was thirty four. He was a branch manager for Alan Chuck Travel and he was described as kind, loving and energetic. Shane Tomlinson was thirty three. He was a lead singer in a cover band he had been seeing at another club before heading two poles that night. Leroy Valentine Fernandez was twenty five and he was a dancer, a fashionista. He A friend of his said that he loved to sing adele until he got tired of it, and that life is quieter without him now. Louise Vielma was twenty two and friends describe him as the best person that they had like the pleasure of knowing Louis Danielle. Wilson Leon was thirty seven. He grew up in Puerto Rico. He was at Poles with his partner Jean Mendesperees. They were together for ten years. And then Gerald Wright he was thirty one. He went by Jerry. He was described as quiet and hard working, but always had a smile on his face, and he worked at Disney. And yeah, those are all the victims that passed away. Well, just people out for the night, just living their lives. And then I didn't write too much about him because I wanted to focus on what happened and the victims. But the gunman was identified to be twenty nine year old Omar Mattin, a US citizen born in Queens. Also like important to say because a lot of people came out and were like, this is what immigrants shouldn't be in the country, you know, which is crazy because a lot of the immigrants were the ones that died. Yeah, yeah, exactly that we're targeted. Yes, and so yeah, a US born citizen did this. He was born in Queens, New York to Afghan parents. You know, although he was saying all this like nonsense about al Qaeda, isis his Boblah like his the fact that he was Muslim and of Afghan descent that had something to do with him doing this. It's the terrible person that he was. So the FBI had him on like a watch list as of twenty thirteen. Really, I don't remember if I heard of that or not. Yeah, So he worked at a security firm and he told co workers that he had ties to al Qaeda and his bola minded these organizations are not working together. A lot of the organizations also have beef with each other. Yes, also important to note. So it was a tenth month investigation that ended up with no charges. He was question in twenty fourteen again though, after an associate of his became a suicide bomber in Syria. So he I guess maybe knew one person. So he also later told someone else that he had been watching jihadi's videos by anwar all a Lackey, and that person told the authorities. So this was another investigation. But again, nothing came of this investigation. Investigation, it was closed, and he had a Florida firearms license since twenty seven Even at the time of the shooting, this license was active. I would think that if you're on a watch list or something like, you shouldn't have that. Yeah, you would think. And since he had been investigated twice already, how many KKKM members are in the watch list and you know they're going to do that? Yeah, like they no, I know, but like you know, like they're not going to do that because Ye're like, yeah, we're not going to put white people. I mean, even if white people are on the watch list, we're not going to take away their gun, right, Yeah, yeah, said the same thing when so he was His name had also appeared on this list, the FBI's Terrors Screening database. This is the terrorist watch list. His name was removed after those both of those investigations, So he would have legally been allowed to have firearms. So he bought the guns that he used for this shooting on June fourth, And so you know, in the days after the attack happened, there was people, I guess, all sorts of rumors coming out on people that said that he had been on gay dating websites and apps. Someone did an interview with Univision who went by an anonymous name, who said that he saw the guy I heard regard his name buck him. He saw the guy at Pulse a few times before the shooting. I remember hearing things like that. But nothing was true, right, None could be proven. None of it could be proven. The FBI, you know, did a forensic examination of the guy's phone for computer online account records, and they couldn't find any of this, just like they couldn't find any evidence of him being part of isis like he kept claiming to any of it. And so I mean, just more on on the guy. Like he was. He had, you know, like most of these people, a troubling childhood, like he was described during assignment school that he like he couldn't sit still, he was always in touching people, not leaving people alone, and he had from a very young age these very sexist believes. He was very rude to his uh, the girls in the class and the women teachers. And then when teachers brought it up to his parents, the father had the same views, say, probably is where he got it from. Yeah, and he was also disrespectful to the teachers. So you know, he was always acting out and like you know, maybe he yeah, he had some issues that could have been addressed and they weren't, and so his behavior escalated because I think like at age fourteen, he was suspended from or expelled from school for his behavior. So he was a violent person, a violent like sexist person. And you know, like the his ethnicity, his race, him maybe possibly being like a closeted gay, like none of that is the cause, like or the reason you know, for what he did. Like he was just like a terrible person who went out and did this. There was even a trial against his wife after this the man does something and the wife gets in trouble, yeah, because they were looking for someone to blame, honestly, So an actual trial, like crim criminal trial against her. Were the charges I don't remember the actual name of the charge that was, like you know that he was like that she could have been abused, and then like they're already more basically mass shooters have extremely high rates of domestic violence exactly. Yeah, and look at the shit he was doing in school where he was treating the girls and the teachers. So the trial against his wife was like basically blaming her that she knew what was going to happen, but she had a trial concluded. No, yeah, it concluded she was not guilty of course, of course. Yeah, and she really didn't know. So yeah, and that's really all I wrote about him. And one more thing, you know, the FBI, after the investigation, you know, they determined that he was like a lone wolf, like someone acting alone, not you know, targeting. It was also kind of like concluded that he wasn't even really targeting the club itself. He was just looking for the busiest nightclub. Wow. Yeah, so he because there was Google searches from his phone, and he searched two or three other places in the area, and the last search he did was Post nightclub. So there's speculation he didn't even know it was a gay club. But there's also speculation that he did know it was a gay club and that he had like vendetta against gays. So like, none of it, nothing was proven, and at the end of the day, like you know, no one knows the motive, so nothing like adds up in this, I mean, none of his like I guess you can't find evidence for like, as you said, for his mode. That's weird. I think for me. The only thing that adds up, which is extremely common in mass shooters, went often ignored by media and also by the criminal courts, is that a lot of these men are sexists and they hate women. And that is a lot of times a like a roote issue for them. And you know, the the violence that they the extreme like math violence they want to perpetrate women. Yeah, and a lot of fine, Yeah, and that's what I was going to say. And I think we know that a lot of homophobia is tied to not to diminish homophobia or minimize homophobia as it's as not its own thing, but a lot of times it's tied to the hatred of women. Also. Yeah, And that's like all I wrote about him, because like I did not want the attention on him. Some other podcasts to go into more detail about him and like his life and whatever. But you know, I like not giving attention and sometimes not even name for these people because that's what they want to on top of wanting to enact extreme violence on women because they hate women. They want the attention and the variety avariety, you know, Otherwise, I mean, I don't know about him, but like some of them, right manifesto, they make videos like oh yeah so yeah, oh, and like when he would go applying to jobs, he would put in basically what would be a manifesto or seen as a manifesto, but basically just like horrible sexist views. So yeah, the nightclub sadly they're not reopened, though there are like like I think it was like a week after the shooting happened, there was a like a Latin another Latin night, That's what it was. Another Latin night, but like outside it was like in the street because it was a warm it was a summer, so it was kind of done like in memory of everyone that had passed away. And the there's still like an annual anniversary ceremony basically, and I don't know if it's up, yeah, but they're working on making it like a memorial site. So the club did close and that's being turned into a memorial site for the victims. But one thing that happened, because you know, the the victims were majority Latino Latine, the some people were calling out like why aren't there bilingual, Why isn't there lingual help for the families? Why isn't there like there needs to be more support in Spanish and that is Yeah, that is important because you know, like we've been saying, the majority of these victims and survivors, a lot of them were Latino Latina. So so yeah, that was a that was a tough episode. Yeah, we've reached the end of my notes and then before we go, any spooky recommendations, No, I'm J. I don't have a spooky recommendation, but uh we I am covering Awascalientes. I think for next episode maybe, oh okay, and any listener stories from there if anybody would be nice, yes, send us your Aguas Calientes stories if you have them. I guess we's renowns. But MJ wants to do we like stories from every state, from every state, and then go from one country to the next, because is it states and then provinces. I don't know, as it depending on the country it has either states or provinces. I don't know the difference between the two. Whatever me neither. And then you add in like department, Oh yeah, it's over, it's over for me. Yeah yeah, No, I also don't have any speaky recommendations. God, what have you? I don't think I've even been listening to anything lately. I've just been listening to Anita, like her album dropped and I have not been able to stop listening to it. So, oh, I don't know. You don't know singer. You have to knowing she made a song with is wow. I want to go to one of her concerts. But look, I don't know a lot of music. Okay, I'm like stuck in my old millennial ways and I just listened to the same songs over and over. She's Brazilian makes okay, No, she looks familiar, but I honestly don't think I've listened to any of us songs. Should I I should? I will shut, I will shud. They're so good myself. But no, she she had a lot of people come and attacked her, to attack her because she did I can't remember. Like she's from a part of a different religion. I remember seeing that, and then people were coming at her because she's practicing practicing. Now, oh, I do know who she is. Because of that, I send that to the group. I think don did. Okay, I was like, somebody sent it to us. Okay, but that's her, and I've been listening to her music since her album came out so good, Well, you know what, I'm gonna check that out, okay, And then I also don't have any spooky recommendations. I've been doing nothing but catching up on all the work that I am very behind on. I'm finally like catching up. And then in my little free time, I've been watching De Grassy still and I'm not going to go and talk about the Grassy Moore. There's a lot of seasons, so so I still have to watch it. I almost started watching it, but I had to make it a on to Be to actually for to be able to start off orre I left off, and I haven't done that yet. So you have my HBO information. It's all on HBO. I thought you said it was on two B. No, the last part is on to Be. It's also all of it is on to B. But you can watch it ad free because you have my HBO login. If you have AT and T Internet, you get free HBO. I don't know if oh well I don't, so I mean that sucks for me if anyone else does take advantage of that. Okay, we have reached the end of the episode. Don't forget to if you're in the Denver area. Check out the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival on July twelve to July fourteenth. It's coming up, so that's very exciting. Carmen and I will be there. We're gonna have stickers. I'm gonna have my phone, We're gonna record. If anyone wants to record, Like there's scary stories on TikTok that that would be fun. What else, if you just want to record a scary story with us for the podcast without you know, showing your face, that's fine too. I'm gonna have some equipment too. Maybe Karmng will go to a hunted place and do another fuck Yeah. Yeah. I told Aiden from Susto that we needed to go to one hundred place together when we're there, and he was like, oh yeah, so we'll remind him again and maybe we can get Laney to come too. It's gonna be great. So yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It's gonna be fun, so make sure you go if you're in the area. You can use code as pooky fifteen to get fifteen percent off or paranormal fifteen either one. Either one works, and yeah, stay a spooky close. The sliding door all the way. Thank you. I was like, what did we talk about? And yeah, we'll catch a real next time. Bye bye bye A Spooky Tales is hosted by Christina and MJ, produced and edited by Christina. Everything is written and researched by Christina MJ and with the help of Don Shout Out Don. Thank you so much for your help. If you love what you here, consider living us a five star review. If you don't, then do not leave us anything please. If we want short spooky stories, follow us on TikTok at spooky Tails. You can also find some of the same videos posted on Instagram and that is at spooky Tails. Everything is linked in the show notes. If you want bonus episodes, stickers, exclusive stickers, might I add, then consider joining our patreon. Go over to patreon dot com slash spooky tails. There are over at least fifteen bonus episodes right now, and we do at least one a month, sometimes two, depending on how we are feeling. If you want to support the podcast and don't or can't or don't want to, that's fine. Join the patreon. Then consider getting some merch. We have an adorable beanie that I love, I absolutely adore it. It's so comfy, it's warm, it has a spooky in Old English letters. There's also a baseball hat in the same way as spooky and Old English letters, and that's what I wear in the summers. They're both awesome hats. And there's other things in there, like the no Mama's shirts, which is a very popular shirt. If you like history, check out my other podcast, Istodia's Unknown, hosted with the unofficial official guest co host of A Spooky Tales, Carmen, And if you like no velast, checkout Novelaskosito, which Carmen and I also host together. And yeah, we love every single listen every single a spooky Thank you so much, Stay as spooky