Gunfire erupted at a gay nightclub in Orlando early Sunday, with multiple injuries reported, Florida authorities said.
“Everyone get out of Pulse and keep running,” the club posted on its Facebook page.
Orlando police warned residents to stay away from the area, and urged people not to call their offices.
“Official updates will come from this Twitter account,” they posted. “No email or phone calls please.”
Pulse describes itself as “the hottest gay bar” in the heart of Orlando.
Hours before the shooting, the club urged partygoers to attend its “Latin flavor” night Saturday.
Ricardo Negron Almodovar said he was in the club when the shooting started about 2 a.m.
“People on the dance floor and bar got down on the floor and some of us who were near the bar and back exit managed to go out through the outdoor area and just ran,” he posted on the club’s Facebook page.
“I am safely home and hoping everyone gets home safely as well.”
Anthony Torres, who was at the club with friends, said he heard shots as he left the club and hurriedly drove off.
“The shots did not sound like a regular handgun, it sounded like it was shooting repetitively and it wouldn’t stop,” he said.
“So we knew what it was and we left there pretty quick. It was over 70 cop cars that were arriving there … It happened so quick that people got separated from each other.”
Jose Torres was clocking in to work at the Dunkin’ Donuts across the street when gunshots rang out.
“It was something that I never heard before,” Torres said. “I had to run inside the store, and I saw just a lot of people screaming, crying. Just screaming and coming out running like crazy.”
Torres said he ducked into the Dunkin Donuts and called 911 as several people dashed out of the club, bleeding. Police and SWAT teams rushed to the scene.
“They don’t let nobody in or out,” he said. “The SWAT team is inside there.”