first 20, 25 seconds it was more of is this really happening? >> it was hate. it was going. boom, boom, boom, nonstop. >> the deadliest mass shooting in u.s. history. >> i saw bodies going down and the guy next to me was shot. oh, man, i was like i went down. >> tonight, survivors speak. >> when you saw your friends name on your phone pop up. what was on your mind? >> that could have been me. that should have been me, but i'm here today for a reason. >> eyewitnesss to the worst in humanity and the worst. ju ju chang is in orlando with chilling new details. the investigation with the troubled past of the gunman and remembering the victims. the unbreakable spirit of a community and a nation in

mourning. this special edition of "nightline," nightclub massacre, terror in orlando will be right back.

this is a special edition of "nightline." nightclub massacre, terror in orlando. >> reporter: good evening from orlando. the focal point of a nation reeling from the carnage that

took place at the pulse nightclub. new cell phone video of the moment the dance floor turned into a killing field. harrowing escapes and heroic acts, and we were there as one survivor was reunited with her angel, the man who blocked a bullet for her. >> at that moment in that room, it wasn't a typical shooting. it was hate. it was going -- boom, boom, boom, boom, nonstop. >> reporter: were people screaming? >> it was chaos. it felt like a war zone. there's bullets flying all over the place and people just want to protect themselves and run, and you're hearing the moans of people. >> reporter: where are you thinking about where she is and how to get to her? >> i was scared. i was scared. i don't like to think about it. >> reporter: fear and heart ache weigh heavy in the orlando night. outside the hospital, she waits on an update on her friend,

angel. >> it's hard knowing i'm not dead because of him. that bullet was supposed to be on my back. >> that was angel. he's my angel. >> these are the harrowing stories of survival and courage after the deadliest mass shooting in american history. >> all i could think about was how near death was. i saw bodies going down. >> people were running. i got stepped on a couple of times. i didn't care. i was still alive. >> reporter: 49 victims dead. 53 injured at a gay nightclub in orlan orlando. tonight a nation in mourning over lives lost. >> reporter: when you saw your friend's name on your phone, what went through your mind? >> i thought that could have been me. that should have been me. but i'm here today for a reason. >> reporter: tonight we're learning more about the innocent victims in sunday's horrific attack. this photo of jeff rodriguez

taken 30 minutes before. when the terror began, he texted his brother. >> he states here i've been shot at a club. i'm dying. i love you. dead bodies on top of me. tell everyone i love them. >> reporter: in fact, he was shot three times when the gunman stormed into a bathroom where he and so many were hiding. one of his last text messages was this image from inside the bathroom. tonight we've blurred the faces of the other victims. >> some of them were actually hiding underneath the dead bodies. >> reporter: but his brother survived. tonight this new image of jeff now lying in a hospital bed alive, thanks to a friend who held pressure to his wounds to stop the bleeding. >> have you talked to your brother? >> he knows that you're there. he can hear you. but he can't say anything to you. >> reporter: and tonight, more details about what happened inside the pulse nightclub. 29-year-old omar mateen, a

self-proclaimed isis supporter armed with a 223 caliber ar type rifle and a nine millimeter handgun is about to unleash terror. it's just after 2:00 a.m. latin night. 320 packed into the crowded nightclub. near an entrance, mateen starts to fire. an off duty prifr responds. then a shootout, and mateen moves deeper inside the club to the dance floor. amanda alvear is inside. her brother shows us this snap chat video. and then gunshots over the music. >> i don't know if my sister suffered. i know she was scared. >> reporter: he becomes one of victims. one of the three d.j.s on duty that night. >> it started with hearing pops. that's why i turned the music off. that's when everybody started running. >> reporter: some patrons

running to the bathrooms where as many as 20 people huddled together fearing for their lives. mateen enters, taking four or five hostages. >> reporter: one survivor playing dead as he recalls. >> i was uncomfortably wedged between my shoulders up against the back wall. my face and forehead up against the toilet boil. >> reporter: at 2:30 a.m., he calls 9-1-1, hanging up twice before a dispatcher calls him back. he then pledges his allegiance to isis. >> he was telling them stop bombing isis. >> stop bombing isis in syria. >> reporter: the bomb squad and hazmat teams arrive around 3:00 a.m. as hostage negotiators try to talk the gunman down. >> we're being told possibly up to 15 remaining in the club. >> reporter: just after 5:00 a.m. police have controlled explosives to distract mateen. they then plow into the wall,

puncturing holes that became escape patches for those hiding inside, and then bullets in the night. >> they're shooting back and forth. >> and we have shots fired on scene. opd is requesting you to stay back. >> reporter: the gunfire ending with mateen shot dead. one officer shot in the head saved only by his helmet. 30 hostages freed. at the end of that terrifying three hour standoff, the enormity of the heart break just beginning to set in. >> we now have a large mci unit, 250 persons. >> they can't identify anybody. >> reporter: this woman says her son christopher was at the club. >> i called him last night at 6:00. and i left him with i love you, chris. >> reporter: those would be the last words she would share with her son. he became one of the too many

victims in sunday's tragic massacre. the innocent faces now known to be among the deceased. 23-year-old stanny al mode var. and kimberly morris killed on duty working saturday night as a security guard at pulse. but amid all the horror, there are stories of heros. >> i noticed somebody stumbling, covered in blood. i crept up to him, pulled him over to me and he clearly was shot. >> reporter: he took the shirt off his back to tie a josh telling us today, that man is now stable in the hospital. >> everything is still fresh. it's going to take more than a day or two or a week. >> reporter: hours ago we caught

up with jennette has she headed to the hospital to visit angel, the man who talk a bullet instead of her. >> there's so much i want to say, and i want to apologize. >> reporter: why do you want to apologize? you have nothing to apologize for. he knows that. >> i don't know. what if i would have let him walk off. i grabbed him and i was dancing with him, and what if -- i don't know, there's always the what if. i've been thinking a lot of this. >> reporter: emotions running high. we drive her to the hospital to be reunited with angel. >> here we go. >> reporter: the pair walk in. >> at this point they've been inside the hospital for two hours. i can't imagine how emotional this reunion must be. >> reporter: a short time later they come out. >> i'm happy now. >> reporter: relieved he's going to be okay, but his suffering was far greater than she realized. >> he had three gunshot wounds to his leg. he had a broken left leg, and what happened was he was shot

initially. he fell to the ground and he was trampled, and then he got shot in the back. the gunman went to the other rooms and shot. now there's a bunch of bodies all over the floor around him, and the gunman came back and he was shooting everybody on the floor, and he shot him in his back. he was coming and shooting again to make sure they were dead. >> reporter: he had to pretend. >> he had to pretend he was -- >> reporter: dead. >> yes. he prayed and he said he doesn't know how he wasn't shot in the head. >> i was so excited. i had to take a photo. >> reporter: he looks amazing. that smile a glimmer of hope, so much needed after that night of terror and hate. >> that moment he saw me, he had that smile. i hugged him. >> reporter: how did that hug feel? >> it felt amazing. it made me cry, and i told him how much i love him and he stuck with me. that's it. >> reporter: up next, we delve

into the investigation into the gunman's troubled past. a surpri. it's red lobster's new lobster and shrimp summerfest! with the lobster and shrimp... ...you love in so many new dishes, you're gonna wanna try... ...every last one. like the new coastal lobster & shrimp. with a wood-grilled lobster tail, ...wild-caught red shrimp crusted with panko, ...and shrimp fresh off the grill and brushed with... ...summer ale bbq sauce. or try the new lobster & shrimp overboard, ...because when a dish can wow you like this, ...overboard's the only way to describe it. but hurry, this ends soon. what backache? what sore wrist? what headache? advil makes pain a distant memory. nothing works faster stronger or longer what pain? advil. get your beauty sleep and use yonew aveeno®r? absolutely ageless® night cream with active naturals® blackberry complex. younger looking skin can start today. new absolutely ageless® from aveeno®.

thisproof of less joint pain and clearer skin. this is my body of proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the number #1 prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. want more proof? ask your rheumatologist about humira. what's your body of proof?

whe gets a ready for you alert the second his room is ready. so you know what he gives? i'll give you everything i've got and then some. he gives a hundred and ten percent! i'm confident this 10% can boost your market share. feel me lois? i'm feeling you.

boom! look at that pie chart. the ready for you alert, only at laquinta.com.

omar mateen appeared to live a normal life. an abusive husband proned to hateful outbursts and then there are the multiple inquiries by the fbi for possible links to terror. abc news goes inside the investigation. >> reporter: today in fort pierce, florida, after fbi agents left the apartment, a first look at how he lived prior to unleashing terror at the

crowded nightclub in orlando. this video provided to abc news by a tv crew. the reporter describing the messy aftermath of the fbi raid. otherwise, a portrait of a normal life. family photos on the dining room table and walls. on the kitchen counter, an expired florida firearms license, and the room of the three-year-old son filled with toys. no sign of devotion to isis he professed on sunday. but law enforcement now in possession of the shooter's phone is hoping it holds new clues to what might have motivated the deadly rampage that killed 49 and injured more than 50. in. >> there are strong indications of radicalization by this killer and of potential inspiration by foreign terrorist organizations. >> reporter: the shooter omar mateen dialled 9-1-1 twice during his siege pledging

allegiance to isis and solidarity with an american suicide bomber. >> it's not clear what terrorist group he aspired to support. >> reporter: while investigators pore over the details, they're answering tough questions about a man who seem to have slipped through the cracks. he was born in new york and attended high school in florida. he worked as a security guard when he first caught the attention of the fbi. >> he made some statements that were inflammatory and contradictory that concerned his co-workers about terrorism. >> reporter: one co-worker recalled him as a man with many hatreds zblc hatreds. >> black people, women, he did not like jews. he did not like hispanics. for did he like gay or lesbian people. >> reporter: the fbi placed him under surveillance, even introduced him to confidential sources and recorded their

conversations. but because the fbi investigation found no evidence of any ties to terrorism, there were no criminal charges and he was allowed to walk into this gun store three times over the past ten days to buy firearms. >> did that concern you? >> i don't know enough to say whether i'm concerned or not. >> reporter: atf was at the gun store today where he legally bought a handgun and assault rifle, the weapons he used in the deadliest of recent mass shootings. >> reporter: would you have liked to know the fbi was investigating him. >> it would have been fantastic. he wouldn't have gotten a gun. >> reporter: today mateen's father said no one was more surprised than him. >> i wish i did know that what he was doing. if i did catch him, i would arrest him myself. >> reporter: but mateen's ex-wife paints a disturbing portrait of a man unhinged, violent. >> this was a sick person.

this was a sick person that was really confused. and went crazy. >> reporter: she says she hasn't spoken to mateen in seven years sold abc news when she were married he regularly beat her and had deep hatred toward gays. >> he would express his anger toward a certain culture. >> reporter: his current wife is reportedly now cooperating with the fbi and has told them mateen may have scouted a number of locations for his attack, including disney properties in orlando. disney, the parent company of abc, would not confirm the report but said it's been increasing security measures for some time in what it calls a world of uncertainty. uncertainty reinforced by the fact that the fbi is currently watching about 8 00 isis sympathizers here in the u.s., trying to figure out which ones might go on a murderous rampage.

>> we're looking for needles in a nationwide hay stack. we're also called upon to know what hay stack might become needles. >> reporter: should they tracked his movements? >> so far the answer is i don't think so. i don't see anything our agents should have done differently. >> reporter: the director would not address why those were not or could not be told their former suspect was buying an arsenal of weapons. the president voicing frustrations. >> the fact that we make it this challenging for law enforcement, for example, even to get alerted that somebody who they are watching has purchased a gun and if they do get alerted, sometimes it's hard for them to stop them from getting a gun, is crazy.

it's a problem. >> reporter: even as the body count continues to rise from mass shootings, no con sis answer the on what to do. >> up next, the poignant response to a hateful crime. ♪ ♪ ♪ take on the unexpected with a car that could stop for you. nissan safety shield technologies, available in the altima, sentra and maxima.

fight heartburn fast. with tums chewy delights. the mouthwatering soft chew that goes to work in seconds to conquer heartburn fast. tum tum tum tum. chewy delights. only from tums. (vo)never be good.can purina believes it can. inspecting every ingredient for quality? that's big. being confident that your pet's food is 100% safe? that's big, too. spending more healthy years with your best friend? that's amazing. big is exciting... daring... for everyone. pets don't just make life better - they make it bigger. purina. live big. fact. there's an advil specially made for fast relief that goes to work in minutes. the only advil with a rapid release formula for rapid relief of tough pain. look for advil film-coated in the white box! relief doesn't get any faster than this. advil.

wannwith sodastreamter? you turn plain water into sparkling water in seconds. and because it's so delicious,

you'll drink 43% more water every day. sodastream. love your water. ♪ it's become a far too familiar scene, a pulse shooting vigil marked with tears and a collective grief, but this shooting was a blatant attack on the lgbt community. a musical tribute calling for pride and for healing. ♪ >> reporter: there has always been magic in music. we can hear the healing power today from london's gay men's chorus. all across the globe, israel, paris, signs of both healing and solidarity. at d.c.'s dupont circle,

solidarity in the form of sacrifice at donors flooded a blood drive. >> it's a terrible tragedy. it's the least i could do. >> reporter: it was tragedy in the triumph born from it that first made new york stone wall the monument to america's gay rights movement and a gathering place again tonight. but mass murder inside a gay club in orlando reminds us all that community is still not safe. there remain dark corners where dignity is denied. the hash tag gays break the internet took off. inspiring some to come out to the world. like this young woman, a muslim and a less yen, the rumors are true. i exist. >> i hope you know that myself and so many are your allies. [ applause ]

♪ we shall overcome >> reporter: and from the gay men's chorus in washington, reassurance, we do overcome. terror can wound, but it can never win. ♪ some day >> our thanks to byron for that report. as we say good night from orlando, a community still very much many mourning but coming together now perhaps stronger than ever. tune in to good morning america tomorrow for the latest on the investigation, and as always, we

♪ it's time to free yourself from the old way of buying and selling cars. introducing beepi, the radical new way to buy & sell cars, all online. carefully inspected, guaranteed and delivered right to you. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ if you never have to step foot on a dealership lot again, neither should they.