At the beginning of "Anderson Cooper 360" Monday, host and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper made a point to name each of the victims of the Sunday morning Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, whose names were released at the time of the broadcast.
A gunman opened fire in an Orlando, Florida, gay nightclub Sunday, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others. The gunman was killed in police crossfire.
Cooper, who is openly gay, was audibly shaken as he read the names of the victims' names, shared information on where each of them worked and shared reflections on their lives from loved ones.
He struggled to fight back tears throughout the 7 1/2-minute reading, taking deep breaths to regain his composure.
The CNN anchor made a point to say that he would not mention the gunman by name or display his photograph throughout the two-hour program.
Watch Cooper's emotional tribute below.
"They are more than a list of names. They are people who loved and who were loved." - @andersoncooper #Orlando https://t.co/DkxxPC1XtW
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) June 14, 2016
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