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Celebrities React To The Pulse Orlando Shooting, Because This Effects Everyone

by Kate Ward

Early Sunday morning, a lone gunman opened fire in Orlando's Pulse nightclub, killing over 50 people and wounding over 50. The hostage situation — which took place in a three-hour span — shocked the nation who woke up on Sunday to the news, particularly considering it happened 24 hours after a shooting led to the death of Voice singer Christina Grimmie. And along with politicians and residents bringing attention to the shooting, celebrities tweeted tributes to the Orlando Pulse victims as well.

(Update: The FBI has updated the death toll to 49 victims. The shooter was also killed.)

For the most part, celebrities, like most who heard about the shootings on Sunday morning, felt at a loss, not knowing exactly what to do beyond the 140 characters spent mourning the victims of the attack. And, considering there has been over 150 mass shootings in 2016 alone, it's an easy feeling to identify with. When there's so much violence, seemingly every day in the U.S., what can be done to finally put a stop to the shootings? Especially since, seemingly every day in the U.S., there are calls to end that exact violence that continues to evolve?

So, as tweets poured in following the Orlando shooting, which is being labeled a terror attack by authorities and is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, many resembled this one in nature — celebrities, just like the rest of us, are horrified, but, at the same time, confused.

Because, beyond outrage, what can we show to make incidents like these stop?

Others wanted to ensure that the shooting was labeled exactly what it was, a terror attack.

While others took the opportunity to tweet their thoughts and prayers for those who have been killed in the Pulse shooting, mourning the loss of over 50 individuals.

It's a sad day for Orlando and the nation — but, sadder yet, is the fact that this will likely not be the last time we hear helpless words from Hollywood and beyond.