Orlando victims with ties to New York and New Jersey

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - A gunman opened fire inside a gay nightclub in Orlando early Sunday, leaving 49 people dead. Several of the victims had ties to the New York area.

MERCEDEZ FLORES

Mercedez Flores, 26, was born in Queens and moved to Florida as a young girl. Friends say she went to the Pulse every weekend, was attending college, and hoped to become an event planner.

PETER GONZALEZ

Peter Gonzalez attended Colonia High School in New Jersey. He worked for ups. He was at the nightclub with his best friend.

BRENDA MCCOOL

Brenda McCool, 49, was a mother of 11 children. She was originally from Brooklyn. Her family says she beat cancer twice. She was in the club with one of her sons who is gay. He survived.

ENRIQUE RIOS

Enrique Rios, 25, of Brooklyn, was a social worker and a nursing school student. He told family he went to Orlando for the weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday.