We know that an awful excuse for a human being took the lives of 49 innocent people in Orlando this past weekend, and caught up in the melee were another 53 who were injured in the shooting.

One of those survivors is Angel Colon, caught up in the hailstorm of bullets that rung out around Pulse nightclub.

His story is difficult to watch – here’s ABC7 with a brief summary:

Angel Colon, 26, was shot three times in his leg, and his bones shattered as he was trampled in the crowd. Then he was hit again, in the hand and hip, as the gunman shot the injured, apparently “making sure they’re dead.” Later, as a policeman dragged Colon to safety, his body was cut by shards of broken glass.

Appearing in a wheelchair, Colon turned to the doctors and nurses and said: “I will love you guys forever.”

Angel in his own words:

The area’s main trauma hospital, Orlando Regional Medical Centre, was inundated with victims:

The trauma center [sic] is used to handling four or five patients a shift. A total of 44 arrived that night. Nine of them were too far gone to be saved, said Dr. Michael Cheatham, a critical care surgeon.

Of the rest, 27 remained hospitalized Tuesday, including six in intensive care, one of whom was shot in the head. Two patients in the ICU may be permanently disabled, but no patient has succumbed since the nine who were pronounced dead on arrival, Cheatham said.

Doctors said 12 victims were treated and six remain hospitalized at Florida Hospital Orlando, including Angel Santiago Jr., who was shot in the left foot and right knee as he huddled in one of the nightclub’s bathrooms. He was stabilized with two units of blood, and expressed deep gratitude to the staff.

“I don’t even know how I’m alive today,” Santiago said.

How’s that right to bear arms working out for you, America?

[source:abc7]