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A view of the general scene after a shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on June 12.(Photo: EPA)
One of the owners<span style="color: Red;">*</span>of the gay nightclub where multiple people were shot early Sunday in Orlando started the club to promote<span style="color: Red;">*</span>awareness about<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the area's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Her<span style="color: Red;">*</span>brother had<span style="color: Red;">*</span>died from AIDS.
Barbara Poma opened<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Pulse<span style="color: Red;">*</span>on Orange Avenue in Orlando<span style="color: Red;">*</span>with her friend and co-founder Ron Legler in 2004. It hosts nightly themed performances<span style="color: Red;">*</span>as well as a monthly program of LGBT-related educational events.
Pulse refers to itself as "not just another gay club."<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Saturday night was Latin night.
USA TODAY
Orlando nightclub shooting: What we know
"Being raised in a strict Italian family, being gay was frowned upon. However, when John came out to his family and friends, the family dynamic transitioned from a culture of strict tradition to one of acceptance and love," the club's website says of Poma's brother.
"It was important to create an atmosphere that embraced the gay lifestyle with décor that would make John proud. Most importantly, (we)<span style="color: Red;">*</span>coined the name Pulse for John’s heartbeat<span style="color: Red;">*</span>—<span style="color: Red;">*</span>as a club that is John’s inspiration, where he is kept alive in the eyes of his friends and family."
USA TODAY
Orlando police: 'Approximately 20 dead' after club rampage
Neither Poma nor Legler could be immediately reached for comment about the shooting, described by police as a "mass casualty situation."
Police said about 20 people were killed and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>least 42 were hospitalized.
According to Poma's LinkedIn profile she works for RB Management, a company that operates three establishments:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Wildside Bar & Grille restaurants, Pacino's Italian Ristorante and Pulse Orlando. Legler is the president of the Florida Theatrical Association.
Kenya Michaels, a drag queen from Puerto Rico, was scheduled to appear<span style="color: Red;">*</span>at Pulse on Saturday evening<span style="color: Red;">*</span>along with another entertainer<span style="color: Red;">*</span>called Jasmine International, according to Michaels' Facebook page, which displayed a flyer for the show.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Yara Sofia, another Puerto Rican drag queen and reality television<span style="color: Red;">*</span>personality, said Michaels was safe.
"She got out with manager Neema," Sofia said on<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Facebook.
Angelica Jones of Orlando, Pulse's resident entertainer, also posted a message on Facebook early Sunday: "God's good. I made it out safe. Thank you for your prayers."
Pulse is described on the GayCities website as having "three different areas to mix it up, including an outdoor patio. Don't miss the club's ultra lounge<span style="color: Red;">*</span>—<span style="color: Red;">*</span>all white and LED lighting (think Halo in DC or Miami). Dancers and drag shows round out the party."
An online review of Pulse on the same<span style="color: Red;">*</span>website<span style="color: Red;">*</span>by a user called jetdc74 said an evening at the club on Aug. 5, 2012, "kinda started off slow but the night picked up. Nice bartenders. Small dance floor, however the music was good."
Orlando recently wrapped up its annual weeklong Gay Days festival on June 6 in which up to 150,000 in the LGBT community attend area theme parks, gay nightclubs and special events. It was the 25th anniversary of Gay Days. It is<span style="color: Red;">*</span>one of the largest gay pride events in the world.
The gunman's motive was not clear<span style="color: Red;">*</span>but police said it was not connected to the murder of Christina Grimmie, a singer on the TV show "The Voice" who was shot dead when she was signing autographs after a concert in Orlando on Friday night.
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Contributing: Florida Today's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Jennifer Sangalang-Meesey
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