Orlando Shooting: The Nation's Front Pages a Day After Deadliest Shooting Massacre
News of Sunday morning's massacre at Pulse nightclub's Latin night in Orlando, Florida, rapidly spread across the nation.
By Monday, the gruesome event was on the cover of almost every newspaper throughout the country; revealing the faces and stories of those impacted by the tragedy. Most publications reported the shocking details: 49 dead; the shooter killed by SWAT forces; two explosives detonated on either side of the building by authorities, in order to disrupt 29-year-old Omar Mateen from his rampage; Mateen's twice-inconclusive FBI investigations, and the fact that he was able to legally purchase an AR-15-style gun just two weeks before stepping into Pulse.
But newspapers also typically noted one common point: the country has already begun to mourn, holding candlelit vigils, sharing stories of the fallen and messages of unity.
The Orlando Sentinel's message was one of healing — the popular newspaper ended its cover with the hashtag, #OrlandoUnited.
The Press Journal made it abundantly clear Mateen was a Florida resident and U.S. citizen with three simple words on its front page: "One Of Us."
The New York Daily News took it a step further, placing blame on the National Rifle Association for the U.S.'s plague of systematic shootings.
The Longview News-Journal shared the story of Mina Justice, a mother who received texts from her son from the bathroom of Pulse when Mateen took him as hostage. Thirty-year-old Eddie Justice died in the bloodshed.
The always controversial New York Post blamed ISIS with a photograph of Omar Mateen's face and the headline, "Islamic terrorist kills 50."
The New York Times shared an image of victims' family members and friends finding out news of their lost loved ones in what will be a historic newspaper cover for decades to come.
The Tampa Bay Times featured a rainbow rose with the headline, "there are no words."
The Tuscaloosa News only had one: "Unimaginable."
The Mercury News shared photographs of those impacted by Sunday morning's shooting just below an image of a selfie of Mateen in this California newspaper.
The Bakersfield Californian noted that if there is any light to be shed on such a tragedy, it's a moment to reflect on our communities, and see how we can improve them so love can always win.
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June 14, 2016, 2:24 p.m. Eastern: This story has been updated.
