Orlando mayor declares state of emergency in the wake of mass gay club shooting

buzzz worthy. . .

After the death toll in a club shooting in Orlando rose to 50, more than twice the initial estimate, the mayor has declared a state of emergency in the following statement:

We are dealing with something we never imagined. Since the last update, we have gotten better access to the building, cleared the building. It is with great sadness I share that we have 50 casualties, in addition to the shooter. Because of the scale I have called Governor Scott to request a state of emergency and we are issuing a state of emergency in the City. This allows us to bring additions resources to support our efforts.

Our focus in the coming hours will be identifying the victims and notifying the families. We are setting up a hotline for concerned family members – 407.246.4357. The identification process may take some time. We ask for your patience as we want to be accurate. I continue to be proud of how our community has responded.

-Mayor Buddy Dyer