Martin Benitez Torres, 33, was one of the 49 people killed in the Pulse nightclub mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016. A Puerto Rican who had been visiting family in Orlando for a few days, Torres was a student at Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez in San Juan studying to become a pharmacy technician. He was attending Pulse’s Latin Night when a lone gunman, identified as Omar Mateen, opened fire in the early hours of the morning.

Mateen was killed by police after a roughly three-hour standoff; investigators reported he had legally purchased the firearms used and had been on the FBI’s radar at earlier times but was not under active investigation at the time. In the shooting’s aftermath Torres’s family joined other victims’ families in civil actions seeking accountability, including lawsuits against the gunman’s employer and the gun shop that sold the firearms. Torres’s family remembers him as a creative and caring person who brought joy to those around him.

If anyone knew Martin or has information about him to share with family or memorial efforts, please contribute what you can.