The helpless terror Mina Justice experienced early Sunday morning is every mother’s worst nightmare.
Her son, Eddie, was inside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando when gunman Omar Mateen opened fire with an assault rifle. Mateen ended up killing 49 innocent people and injuring 53 others at the LGBT club. Eddie was among those who tragically lost their lives that night.
As this act of terror was unfolding, Eddie, 30, was texting his mom while being held hostage in the women’s restroom. He pleaded with her to contact police. His words are a chilling glimpse inside the worst mass shooting in U.S. history — and into one mom’s horrifying reality.
Eddie’s first text that night was sent at 2:06 a.m.: “Mommy I love you. In club they shooting.”
Mina tried calling her son, but he didn’t answer. She texted to see if he was OK. He replied, “Trapp in bathroom.” When she asked what club, Eddie texted, “Pulse. Downtown. Call police,” followed shortly by, “I’m gonna die.”
Mina called 911 and then sent a series of texts to her son that went unanswered. He finally responded at 2:39 a.m. with, “Call them mommy. Now,” noting again that he was in the bathroom. “He’s coming. I’m gonna die.”
By 2:49 a.m., Mina told Eddie the police were there. “Hurry,” he responded. “He’s in the bathroom with us.”
“Is the man in the bathroom wit u?” she asked.
“He’s a terror,” Eddie replied.
His very last text was sent at 2:51 a.m.: A simple “Yes.“
Christine Leinonen — mom of another Orlando victim, Christopher Leinonen, 32 — said she just happened to wake up at around 3 a.m. that fateful morning. She was scrolling through Facebook when she saw one of Christopher’s friends had posted there was a shooting at the Pulse and he didn’t know where his friends were.
“So I texted (Christopher) and called him and came right here to the hospital, and we’ve been waiting since 4 this morning,” Christine told ABC News, while still waiting for news on whether he was alive or dead.
She tearfully described her son, who was active in the gay community for a number of years. Christopher even established a gay-straight alliance at his high school, for which he received a humanitarian award. She was very proud of him.
“Please, let’s all just get along,” Christine told ABC News, while choking back tears. “We’re on this earth for such a short time. Let’s try to get rid of the hatred and the violence, please.”
This mom later received the same devastating news as Eddie’s mother: Christopher was among the 49 victims who had died in the attack.
Just think of all of the mothers, all of the fathers, siblings, grandparents and friends of these victims who have been impacted by this unthinkable act of terror. No parent should have to receive news of their child becoming a casualty of a mass shooting. I can’t begin to imagine how family members of the Orlando victims are feeling today.
When will this stop? Could you or I be in these parents’ shoes one day?
What are your thoughts on the Orlando shootings?
Share your thoughts!