ORLANDO, Fla. – Tuesday marks the second anniversary of the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando that claimed 49 lives.
The 2:02 a.m. shooting on June 12, 2016, shook the city with a sorrow felt across the nation.
Recommended Videos
Strangers and the victims' loved ones held hands overnight outside the nightclub, sharing a moment of silence for the victims with a message reclaiming the day: More love, less hate.
"I think it's important that we remain united and remain strong," Pulse's entertainment director Blue Star said.
Gov. Rick Scott has officially proclaimed June 12 Pulse Remembrance Day, tweeting Tuesday, "This morning, @flannscott and I visited the Pulse memorial to honor and remember the 49 innocent lives that were lost two years ago. They will never be forgotten."
Those on social media also called June 12 Orlando United Day.
"Two years is an important mark, as far as healing goes and processing," Star said. "We've been through a year first, and then we've kind of been in this other year trying to get back into our new normal, and it's nice to have a little bit of that."
A bell will toll Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church in Orlando 49 times in honor of the victims killed, and the more than 50 others whose lives since have never been the same.
