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Orlando Pulse massacre, 5 years on

July 1, 2021

Five years ago, 49 people died and 53 were wounded when an "Islamic State" sympathizer carried out a massacre at the Pulse LGBTQ club in Florida. Amanda Grau survived by hiding beneath dead bodies in a bathroom. How has she dealt with her experience?

https://p.dw.com/p/3vCXX

Amanda Grau will never forget what happened that night. First, she called her mother — to tell her that she loved her, words that could well have been her last. Then she decided to do everything she could to survive and to protect as many people as possible from the killer, by helping police find a way inside the club and end the bloodshed.

Today, Amanda Grau is a paramedic. She only took up the profession after the massacre, wanting to help others and to make the most of what she calls her second life. With DW's Ines Pohl she looks back at the tragic past and ahead to the future.