The memorial services for the 49 people murdered at Pulse nightclub in Orlando began Wednesday night, with a visitation for Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40. On Thursday, funerals were held for Kimberly Morris, 37; Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20; Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36; and Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22. On Friday, friends and loved ones will bury Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25. The funerals are expected to continue for two weeks, both large public ceremonies and small, private services.
The medical examiner's office began releasing the bodies after the autopsies were completed on Tuesday, and the same day, local citizens concerned about funeral protests by Westboro Baptist Church and other anti-LGBT groups formed a group called Human Chain to monitor the funerals. Hundreds of volunteers showed up to guard the Jorge-Reyes service, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Authorities have warned mourners to be cautious, and at least one minister was advised to wear a bulletproof vest. Some of the victims, aged 18 to 50, will be flown to Puerto Rico for burial.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
July 13 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include new TSA rules, FEMA cuts, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy complimenting Donald Trump's new wardrobe
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floodsCartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murdersspeed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bailSpeed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambushSpeed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrialSpeed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside homespeed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confessionspeed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulderspeed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC paradespeed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack
