On their website, the City of Orlando released six of the names of deceased victims. Here is what is known about them so far:
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old
Edward Sotomayor was a caring, energetic man known for wearing a silly top hat on cruises, said David Sotomayor, who identified himself as the victim's cousin.
David Sotomayor, who lives in Chicago, told The Associated Press Sunday that Edward worked for a company that held gay cruises and often traveled to promote the company's events.
"He was just always part of the fun," David Sotomayor said.
Eddie Sotomayor was killed during a mass shooting at a nightclub in Orlando on Sunday, June 12, 2016.
FACEBOOK/AL FERGUSON
The two discovered they were related after meeting at Orlando's annual Gay Days festival around a decade ago. They texted regularly and kept in touch, last seeing each other earlier this year at a filming of the television reality show "RuPaul's Drag Race," David Sotomayor said.
David Sotomayor is a drag queen who appeared on a season of the show using the name "Jade." He said Edward Sotomayor supported him and often sent him Facebook messages. They last exchanged messages late last week.
"You never think that's going to be the last time you speak to him," David Sotomayor said. "It's just heartbreaking to know it just can happen anytime."
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Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old
Stanley Almodovar III's mother had prepared a tomato-and-cheese dip for him to eat when he came home from his night out.
Instead, Rosalie Ramos was awakened by a call at 2 a.m. Sunday telling her something had happened.
Ramos told the Orlando Sentinel her son, a 23-year-old pharmacy technician, posted a Snapchat video of himself singing and laughing on his way to Pulse nightclub.
"I wish I had that (video) to remember him forever," she told the newspaper.
Stanley Almodovar III was killed during a mass shooting at a nightclub in Orlando on Sunday, June 12, 2016.
A friend, Hazel Ramirez, told the Washington Post she also saw a video from Almodovar on Snapchat and learned Sunday afternoon what had happened.
Ramirez described Almodovar as "kind, but sassy," and someone who was comfortable with his own sexual identity.
"He was so proud of who he was," she told the Post. "He would do his makeup better than anyone else. It was so easy to be myself with him."
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Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 years old
An undated photo from the Facebook account of Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, who police identified as one of the victims of the shooting massacre that happened at the Pulse nightclub of Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016.
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22, had told his cousin Robert Guerrero, that he was gay about two years ago but he was worried about how the rest of his family would react so he did not tell them until just before the beginning of this year. And when he did? "They were very accepting," said Guerrero, 19. "As long as he was happy, they were OK with it."
On Sunday morning, after learning that so many people had died at a gay nightclub, Pulse, that his cousin had gone to once in a while, Guerrero started to become concerned. Later in the day, his fears were realized when the family learned that Guerrero was identified as one of the victims.
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22, has been identified by authorities as one of the victims of the mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub on Sunday, June 13, 2016.
INSTAGRAM/JUAN0628
Robert Guerrero said his cousin worked as a telemarketer and in recent months he started attending college at the University of Central Florida. Guerrero said his cousin didn't quite know what he wanted to study, but he was happy to be in school. And he was happy in a relationship with a person his relatives came to regard as a member of the family, Guerrero said.
"He was always this amazing person (and) he was like a big brother to me," he said of his cousin. "He was never the type to go out to parties, would rather stay home and care for his niece and nephew."
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Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old
An undated photo from the Facebook account of Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, who police identified as one of the victims of the shooting massacre that happened at the Pulse nightclub of Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016.
REUTERS
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Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 years old
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Luis S. Vielma, 22 years old
Luis S. Vielma, 22, was killed during a mass shooting at a nightclub in Orlando on Sunday, June 12, 2016.
FACEBOOK/EDDI ANDERSON
On Sunday evening, J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, tweeted that Vielma worked on the Harry Potter ride at Universal.
View image on Twitter
Everyone loved Luis Vielma, friends said. High school friend Eddi Anderson told the Tampa Bay Times that Vielma loved his job and was known for his pleasant attitude and warm demeanor. Josh Boesch, who worked with Vielma at Universal, told the Orlando Sentinel, "He was always a friend you could call. He was always open and available." Vielma "just wanted to make people smile," another co-worker, Olga Glomba, said.
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Kimberly Morris, 37 years old
Authorities have identified Kimberly Morris, 37, as one of the victims of a mass shooting at a nightclub in Orlando on Sunday, June 12, 2016.
FACEBOOK/KJ MORRIS
Kimberly Morris moved to Orlando just months ago and had taken a job at Pulse nightclub as a bouncer, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
"She was so excited," ex-girlfriend Starr Shelton told the newspaper. "She'd just started working there and told me how she was thrilled to get more involved in the LGBT community there," Shelton said.
Friends described Morris as a kind, sweet person.
Narvell Benning met Morris when they were in college at Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut, where Benning said they both played basketball. "I can't think of a time when I did not see a smile on her face," Benning told the Sentinel. "I'm so thankful of the good memories I have of her. This is just unreal."
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Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old
Mina Justice was sound asleep when she received the first text from her son, Eddie Justice, who was in the gay nightclub when a gunman opened fire.
Early Monday morning, Eddie's name was added to the list of the deceased.
He wrote in a text to his mother that he was in the bathroom.
"He's coming
I'm gonna die."
More than 15 hours after the texts with her frantic son, Justice still hadn't heard from him. She and a dozen family and friends were at a hotel that had become a staging area for relatives awaiting news. Any news. Early Monday morning, Eddie was added to the list of the deceased.
Read more here.
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Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old
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Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old
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Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old
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Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25 years old
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Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old
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Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 years old
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Amanda Alvear, 25 years old
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Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old
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Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old
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Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old
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Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 years old
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Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25 years old
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