Ray Rivera was the DJ at Pulse Nightclub the night of the shooting. (Getty)
Ray Rivera is used to getting the party started at Pulse Nightclub but found himself in a much different position the morning of June 12. Rivera was the DJ the night of the tragic Orlando shooting that saw 49 people killed and many more injured.
Rivera survived the attack and helped saved lives in multiple ways. According to The Daily Beast, Rivera heard what he thought were firecrackers and turned down the music.
He quickly realized it was gun shots and turned the music off. This helped some people realize what was happening and escape. Rivera also had two people hiding under his DJ booth. As one of the people ran outside, Rivera told the woman hiding under the table to run out with him.
Here’s the details of the Orlando DJ.
1. Rivera Helped Save Lives in Pulse Nightclub by Using His DJ Booth as Shelter
Rivera draws a diagram of where his DJ booth was located at Pulse. (Getty)
Rivera helped two people hide under his DJ booth as the shooting took place. As the shots got closer and closer, he knew it was time to act. He recalled the experience to CNN.
“Two people went underneath my DJ booth. It was a guy and a girl. The guy, he took off and the girl was down there panicking and I told her she needed to be quiet. As soon as there was a break in the shots, I just pushed her and said lets go. We ran out the door,” Rivera told CNN.
2. He Goes by DJ Infinite When Performing
An image of a flyer on Rivera’s Facebook page. (Getty)
Rivera uses the DJ name DJ Infinite. The shooting happened on Latin night. He noted to CNN that the party was winding down. He put on some Reggae music to help start the end of the evening with the nightclub about to close. The gunshots began to be fired and tragedy struck.
According to a flyer on his Facebook page, the shooting took place on the morning of his birthday celebration. He had a party planned at an other Orlando nightclub to celebrate his June 10 birthday that happened a couple days prior to the tragedy.
3. Rivera Has Rejected the Title of Hero
News outlets like CNN, The New York Times, and The Washington Post have shared Rivera’s story. In some ways, he has rejected the attention.
“I’m no hero . Just wanted to get out safe to my family,” he wrote on Facebook on June 12.
Rivera has used the term family when referring to the people at Pulse nightclub. He was a regular DJ at the establishment and explained the community is a close group.
4. Pulse Is Located in the SoDo Neighborhood Outside Downtown Orlando
Pulse nightclub is a gathering place for the LGBT community. (Getty)
Pulse nightclub is located just south of downtown Orlando on Orange Avenue. According to The New York Times, the club has three separate areas with different music playing in each area.
The main dance floor is called “The Jewel Box”. Rivera frequently is the DJ on the patio area of the club.
5. Rivera Is a Straight Man Who Plays at Multiple Gay Clubs Throughout Orlando
Rivera is a regular DJ at Pulse. (Getty)
Rivera is a straight, married man but has found a connection with the LGBT community in Orlando. In addition to playing at Pulse, he has played at Parliament House, another LGBT Orlando club.
After he escaped, he took a look at the main dance floor and told a Tampa radio station it was “not a pretty site…all you see is people on the floor.”