NOVANEWS
A survivor of the brutal Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando has recalled how the gunman separated black people during his rampage.
Patience Carter was enjoying a night out at the Florida club with friends Tiara Parker and Akyra Murray.
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The 20-year-old was held hostage by homophobic shooter Omar Mateen, 29, in the club bathrooms during a three-hour siege situation.According to Carter, Mateen said: ‘I don’t have a problem with black people.
‘This is about my country. You guys suffered enough.’
During a press conference yesterday, Carter described how her friend Murray was the youngest of the Orlando victims to be killed – at just 18.
Both Carter and Murray managed to reach safety, but they entered the club again after realising Parker hadn’t made it outside. Murray bled to death from her injuries.
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Describing the ordeal, Carter recalled: ‘We were all scrambling around in the bath room, screaming at the top of our lungs.‘At that point we knew this wasn’t a game.
‘This was very real and this was something that was happening to us right now.
‘It was a shock. We went from having the time of our lives to the worst night of our lives all within a matter of minutes.’
Omar Mateen killed 49 people Picture: Reuters)
When Mateen returned to the toilet cubicle they were hiding in, the group feared they’d be shot dead – but Mateen put away his weapon and told them he didn’t have a problem with black people.
Mateen had already shot a number of black people at the club – which was hosting a Latin night.
He shot 49 people dead and injured 53 more before he was killed by police.
