Hundreds pay tribute to 49 Orlando Pulse nightclub victims one year after the massacre
Tearful mourners gathered at a floral memorial for those killed
TEARFUL mourners have paid tribute to the 49 people killed in the Orlando nightclub massacre one year ago today.
Flowers and rainbows were part of the heartbreaking memorial set up to remember the lives senselessly lost in the shooting that targeted dancers at the Pulse nightclub.
The shooting spree on June 12, 2016 by Omar Mateen - who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State before turning his weapons on clubbers - also left more than 50 people wounded.
But those who banded together in memory of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history were reminded not to let hate win.
Speaking to those gathered at the makeshift memorial, Mayor Buddy Dyer said: "No matter how dark the night, the sun is always going to shine."
Christopher Hansen, another person paying his respects, told the Orlando Sentinel that he managed to escape the nightclub but stayed outside to help the wounded on the night of the attack.
He said: "The emotion is too much for words.
"I've come back here several times but this was different.
"Seeing this mural with the faces of the 49, seeing all these people here to support and remember and honour their lives, it's just so beautiful."
Police were quick to contain protesters against homosexuality who attended the memorial, with photographs showing at least one person taken into custody.
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In memory of those killed in the attack, a list of 49 acts of love were shared across social media, encouraging people to volunteer with a charity, hug someone and to teach someone how to paint.
Other acts of kindness included picking up mail for a neighbour and to say something nice to someone you don't like at work.
As part of the commemorations, 49 people dressed as angels, in large white wings and carrying candles, surrounded the building.
The "Angel Force" had been formed in the days after the attack, aimed at protecting people from anti-gay protests.
One mourner, Viviana Torche, told local news: "The one silver lining that we can find in all of this, is the amount of love and the amount of care that everybody has for each other."
US President Donald Trump also shared his condolences, taking to Twitter with the message: "We will NEVER FORGET the victims who lost their lives one year ago today in the horrific #PulseNightClub shooting."
The majority of the victims of the shooting were Hispanic.
A quarter of the 2.3 million inhabitants in the greater Orlando area are Hispanic, and half of those are of Puerto Rican heritage, according to the US census bureau.
Orlando, a city of 260,000 in central Florida, is well known as the host of vast Disney and Universal Studios amusement parks and resorts.