Orlando victim describes execution scene in nightclub
ORLANDO - A man who survived the nightclub shooting in Orlando says he thought "I'm next, I'm dead" as the gunman fired toward his head.
Angel Colon described the horrific night he survived during a news conference on Tuesday at the Orlando Medical Center, the hospital that just happened to be three blocks away from the Orlando nightclub where 49 people were shot and killed.
Appearing in a wheelchair with the doctors and nurses who treated him nearby, Colon talked about what happened early Sunday at Pulse, which describes itself as "Orlando's hottest gay bar."
Colon said he had been having a fun evening and began saying his goodbyes when he heard the chaos starting. He said he was shot three times in the leg and fell to the ground amid dozens of others screaming, bloody bodies.
At some point the gunman, Omar Mateen, left the area, according to Colon, but he wasn't done.
"He came back executing people on the floor," Colon said.
Colon said the gunman shot a girl next to him and then aimed for his head but somehow only shot his hand and his hip. He said he pretended to be dead and the gunman kept firing his gun.
Colon expressed deep gratitude to the people who carried him away from the scene and thanked the hospital staff, saying "I will love you guys forever."
Dr. Michael Cheatham of Orlando Regional Medical Center said Tuesday 16 patients at the hospital are in stable condition, but six remain hospitalized in critical condition.
"I would not be surprised to see the death toll rise," Cheatham said.