Florida cities will honor the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting 10 years ago Friday. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
June 12 (UPI) -- Orlando and St. Petersburg in Florida are remembering the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting 10 years ago Friday, one of the deadliest in history.
Orlando City Hall is displaying portraits of the 49 victims of Omar Seddique Mateen, 29, the man who opened fire at the gay nightclub in the city. Mateen was killed on the scene after a standoff. He had called 911 before the shooting to align himself with the Islamic State. More than 50 others were also injured in the shooting.
The portraits, originally part of a traveling memorial, were drawn by a local artist, and family members and volunteers filled in the color -- only shades of black, white and gray -- with paint-by-numbers kits. More than 1,000 people contributed to the paintings, some of which were intentionally left incomplete by family members. The exhibit opened at 9 a.m. EDT Friday.
The city will also have an official remembrance ceremony at First United Methodist Church, with musical performances and a candlelight ceremony in which the names of the victims will be read.
