Terrified clubbers hid in toilets to send heartbreaking text messages to relatives after dozens of people were shot dead at a gay nightclub in Orlando.
Messages sent from partygoers inside Pulse nightclub have emerged after a lone gunman stormed the Florida venue with an assault rifle.
The gunman has since been identified as Omar Mateen.
WFTV meteorologist Brian Shields posted a conversation on Facebook between one frightened man and his mum in which he told her “I’m gonna die”.
He messaged his mother: “Mommy I love you. In club they shooting," and she replies “U ok” before the man responds with “Trapp (sic) in bathroom”.
The man is asked by his mother “What club” before he fires off a series of messages which ends by saying “I’m gonna die”. He also asked his mother to call the police.
WFTV also reported another woman who was at the nightclub received terrified texts from her daughter and two nieces.
Pulse nightclub shooting
She told the network: “[They said] 'Please come and get us. Please come and get us now. They’re shooting. They’re shooting.’”
The woman then received a message to say her daughter had been shot. The 18-year-old’s condition is unknown.
Christopher Hanson, who was inside the club when the shooting started, said at first the bullets sounded like part of the music.
He told WFTV: “’Bang, bang,’ it sounded like it was a song. All I know is that when I turned around, everyone was screaming and jumping.”
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dye called on people to “stand strong” after the shocking attack.
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He said: “Tonight our community faced a very horrific crime and many lives were lost and many more individuals were impacted by witnessing the crime.
“Many more were saved by the heroic efforts of police. We are a strong community, tonight we had a crime that will have a lasting effect. We need to stand strong.”
