Tony Awards Dedicated to Orlando Victims, Gloria Estefan Shares in Grief
“Our hearts are heavy for the unimaginable tragedy,” show producers say
Meriah Doty | June 12, 2016 @ 9:41 AM
Last Updated: June 12, 2016 @ 10:14 AM
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 24: Gloria Estefan?performs at the 26th National Memorial Day Concert on May 24, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Capitol Concerts)
The 2016 Tony Awards have been dedicated to the victims of the Orlando mass shooting that killed 50 people and injured 53 more.
“Our hearts are heavy for the unimaginable tragedy that happened last night in Orlando,” producers shared in a statement Sunday following the deadly massacre at an Orlando nightclub catering to an LGBT clientele.
“Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected. The Tony Awards dedicate tonight’s ceremony to them.”
Gloria Estefan, who is performing at Sunday night’s event, also shared a heartfelt message on Instagram.
“My heart breaks for the friends and families of the souls whose lives were taken by two senseless acts of violence in two days in Orlando, Florida, a place I consider my home,” she wrote.
“As these massacres become commonplace it becomes even more important for us to love each other as much as humanly possible and to never lose hope that we can somehow make things better. Love will always win and lead us through the darkness into the light…???”❤️✌May the souls of the victims rest in peace.”
James Corden will host the Tony Awards, which will air on CBS tonight, broadcast live from the Beacon Theatre in New York starting at 8 p.m. EST/ 5 p.m. PST
Mass Shootings in America That Horrified All of Us (Photos)
Newtown, Conn. - On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. They were between the ages of six and seven years old. He also killed six adult staff members.
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Washington D.C. — A former Navy reservist shot and killed 12 people on September 16, 2013, at a military facility. The gunman was killed.
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Tyrone, Mo. - On Feb. 27, 2015, Joseph Jesse Aldridge killed seven people — four of them relatives — in a door-to-door shooting spree before killing himself.
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Waco, Tex. - Nine people were killed and many more were injured after two biker gangs began firing at each other at a motorcycle club on May 17, 2015.
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Charleston, S.C. - Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people during a racially motivated shooting in a predominantly African-American church on June 17, 2015.
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Chattanooga, Tenn. - A gunman named Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez entered two military facilities on July 16, 2015, and killed four Marines and injured others, before he was killed.
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Umpqua, Ore. - On October 1, 2015, Chris Harper Mercer killed nine people and injured seven to nine more at Umpqua Community College before two police officers shot him. Mercer then committed suicide.
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San Bernardino, Calif. - 14 people were killed and another 21 injured after Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik opened fire during a holiday party on December 2, 2015. The pair were later killed during a shootout with police.
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Orlando, Fla. - 50 people were killed and 53 wounded on June 11, 2016, at Pulse, a gay nightclub. Just before the shooting, suspected killer Omar Mateen called 911 and pledged his allegiance to the terror group ISIS. Mateen was also shot an killed by police on the scene.
Gerardo Mora/Getty Images
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TheWrap looks back at recent mass shootings that have happened on U.S. soil
Newtown, Conn. - On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. They were between the ages of six and seven years old. He also killed six adult staff members.