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Woman says boyfriend died saving her life in Pulse nightclub shooting

ORLANDO, Fla. — A woman who survived the Pulse nightclub shootings in Orlando, said she is alive, thanks, in part, to her boyfriend.

Family members said Cory Connell was shot and killed as he pushed Paula Blanco out of the club.

Blanco said she could feel the bullets flying by her.

Blanco was at Pulse with her teammates from the women's football team Orlando Anarchy.
Her boyfriend, Connell, was a volunteer assistant coach.
Family and friends said Blanco was shot in the arm and yelled at Connell to run.
Instead, Connell pushed her out the door and was fatally shot.
Connell graduated from Edgewater High School, worked at the Publix in College Park and was an aspiring firefighter.
Blanco described shooter Omar Mateen during the rampage.
“He would just shoot and shoot and he wouldn't stop. The bullet cases would just fall and they would come and hit my arm. He would walk around, and then he started giggling and that kind of scared me even more,” Blanco said.
Blanco’s teammates also survived.
Orange County Fire Rescue later named Connell an honorary firefighter.

Cox Media Group

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