That night in the Pulse Nightclub, the last call for alcohol went out when Ruiz and his friends heard someone screaming to get out. He and his friends were joking, “Wow, they [the bouncers] are trying to kick us out already!” Ruiz explained that right away, the shooter was in front of him. “My friend literally grabbed me and pushed me out the door, and that’s when I was able to run out.” However, a locked gate still trapped a group of them next to the building. They kept hearing screams and shots getting closer. Ruiz and another person started kicking down a locked gate. “Our adrenaline was pumping!” he said. He recalls his foot being caught in the gate and being trampled by people running out though the hole they opened. Because of their efforts, others were able to get to safety. In pain and unable to walk, he was taken to the hospital. He said his friend who pushed him out the door was still in the club. “He was there with his partner, and once rescued, they both died in the ...
