ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in Orange County Sunday afternoon during a news conference on a mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub that left 50 people dead and 53 injured.
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A state of emergency was declared to provide all available resources needed to local government and law-enforcement agencies.
“This is devastating,” Scott said. “You don’t want this to happen anywhere in the world. It’s devastating when you see how many people lost their lives and how it impacts all of their families.”
During the news conference, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said he spoke with President Barack Obama, who assured him that the federal government would provide any resources the city needs.
State Sen. Geraldine Thompson called for strengthened gun control.
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Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan urged the community to donate blood.
“We as a gay community, we are a community of love,” Sheehan said. “You cannot get your message across by killing people. You’re nothing but thugs and murderers.”
The Florida Department of Health has activiated the Florida Emergency Mortuary Operations Response System and deployed a 20 person 'victim identification unit to support the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office.
The Orlando Command Center Staff are set up in the parking lot of the Orange Regional Juvenile Detention Center. DJJ staff have redirected center staff and visitors for the day to an alternate access for the center. Command center staff have access to the lobby of the building for use of facilities, should they need them.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles urges all Floridians to register or update their Emergency Contact Information (ECI). By registering emergency contact information, an individual's family and loved ones can have peace of mind that law enforcement can reach them in the event of an emergency. Individuals can register or update their ECI here: www.flhsmv.gov/ECI.
Cox Media Group
