ORLANDO, Fla. — Four victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting were honored Wednesday at an emotional graduation ceremony at Ana G. Mendez University.
Martin Benitez Torres, Oscar Aracena Montero, 26, Simon Adrian Carillo Fernandez and Gilberto Silva Menendez attended the Orlando College. The victims all received the degrees posthumously and given to the families and friends.
“I feel very proud of him because he was an amazing person,” said Bienvenido Arecena, father of Oscar Aracena Montero.
His father will now take Oscar Aracena Montero’s body back to the Dominican Republic for burial.
%
%
“He was a hard worker, had a lot of dreams, a lot of dreams,” said the father.
Wilda Olivo was Gilberto Silver Mendez’s best friend. She told Eyewitness News he called her from the nightclub about 45 minutes before the shooting began and told her he planned to dance all night.
Olivo accepted Mendez’s degree for his mother, who is in Puerto Rico for his burial.
University leaders said the loss of the students has shaken not just their Orlando campus, but also their main campus in Puerto Rico.
49 people died in the shooting, 53 others were injured.
Raw: Family of Pulse victims receives victims' college degrees
Raw: Father of Pulse victim receives son's college degree
Raw: Friend of Pulse shooting victim receives college victim's college degree
Cox Media Group
