On the 10th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting, survivors describe how their lives have changed

Key Points:

• On June 12, 2016, a gunman killed 49 people and injured more than 50 at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, marking the deadliest mass shooting in US history at the time, targeting primarily young gay and Hispanic men; the attack was investigated as both terrorism and a hate crime.
• Survivor Brandon Wolf, who lost his best friend Christopher Leinonen and his boyfriend Juan Ramon Guerrero in the attack, has since become a prominent LGBTQ+ advocate and author, dedicating his life to fighting for a world free of such violence.
• Keinon Carter survived severe injuries from multiple gunshots but faced a long recovery involving over 60 surgeries and chronic pain; he now works in administration and aims to open a restaurant and a nonprofit center for Black LGBTQ+ youth.
• Tiara Parker, who survived despite being wounded, struggled with survivor’s guilt after her cousin Akyra Murray was killed; she has since found healing through makeup artistry and helping other mass shooting survivors as vice president of the nonprofit Victims First.
• Ten years after the shooting, survivors continue to grapple with trauma, loss, and healing, with each marking the anniversary in personal ways while honoring the memory of those lost and advocating for change to prevent future violence.