Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyJuly 7th, 2016
Amanda Alvear, 25 years old.
Amanda worked as a pharmacy technician and planned to become a nurse. She had transformed herself over the past two years. She shed 180 pounds with the help of bypass surgery and daily workouts. On that Saturday, she had spent the day shopping with her nieces. “She was a fashionista,” said her brother. “She liked to look good, and she wanted my girls – her girls – to look good,” he said. “She liked to make them look very good.”
Her brother said that she enjoyed going out to gay and lesbian clubs because they were fun places to be and she felt safe there. “She wouldn’t want anyone to spread hate for her,” her brother said. “She’d rather they spread more love, keep friends and family close and have a good time doing it.” She went to Pulse for Latin Night with her best friend, Mercedes Marisol Flores. While at Pulse, Amanda posted a series of short videos on Snapchat. In the last video, she captures the moment the gunman opened fire. First, it’s just her having fun with friends. Then gunshots. “Shooting,” she says. Whatever she said after that is drowned out by about 17 gunshots in six seconds.
Neither Amanda nor Mercedez made it out. They were both found dead in a bathroom. “I found out earlier today from another friend of hers that Amanda and her had a chance to escape,” said her brother, “But Amanda went back in because she wasn’t going to leave without Mercedez. She almost made it out.”
Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old.
Mercedez was originally from Queens, New York, but moved to Davenport, Florida, where she graduated from Ridge Community High School in 2008. She worked at Target and studied literature at Valencia College. She was also an avid music fan and was interested in party planning. She wanted to learn to coordinate events for her two older brothers who worked as DJs.
She went to Pulse almost every weekend, often with her best friend, Amanda Alvear. Mercedez and Amanda had known each other for 12 years and were best friends. “They went on cruises together, road trips, plane trips, whatever,” said Amanda’s cousin. “They were both so outgoing. They were like twins.”
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