ABSTRACT
Mass shootings, or those events where four or more people are murdered using firearms in a single event or in multiple locations in close physical proximity, continue to rise in the United States. One such shooting was the Pulse Nightclub massacre on June 12, 2016, in Orlando, Florida. Pulse Nightclub was the largest gay club in Orlando at the time of the massacre, and the majority of the victims were queer and Latinx. The shooter was 29-year-old Omar Mateen. At the time, it was the deadliest mass shooting in the United States and, thus, garnered significant media attention. Given the importance of the media in conveying news and information about this tragedy, this chapter will focus on how both the victims and the perpetrator were portrayed in media stories on the case. Regarding the victims, this chapter will focus on the portrayal of the club itself as being a safe haven and place for community, how the victims were portrayed, and how the shooting challenged feelings of safety for Latinx queer people. When discussing the perpetrator, this chapter will analyze his background, portrayals of his cultural identity, portrayals of his perceived sexual identity, and his history of violence. The chapter will culminate with lessons learned on how to better represent intersectional identities and experiences in the wake of mass shootings.
