“This has been the most difficult week for our community,” Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Joshua Stephany said to start off his public statement.
He then went on to discuss the stress put on the community by the 49 killed at Pulse nightclub, as well as the other two high-profile deaths at Disney and another nightclub. He also said how thanks to the dedicated staff and hard work, it took just 72 hours to identify all the Pulse victims, notify their families and complete the autopsies.
However, what came next was extremely touching:
The Pulse shooter was transported separately from the scene. His remains are being held in a separate building at the ME facility. The shooter’s autopsy was also conducted in another building, away from the victims. This is not a law or requirement, but was rather done out of respect for the victims and their families so that the shooter may never be near the 49 beautiful souls again.
He ended by saying that while his team is trained for incidents like this, “nothing could truly prepare anyone for this devastating lost.”
The last victims were released to funeral homes on Thursday. To learn more about the victims, click here.
Shockingly, Stephany was appointed the chief medical examiner this Tuesday, after the shooting. The appointment was planned before the shooting took place, and he had served as the interim chief medical examiner for a year.<
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said in a statement, "Although June 15 was Dr. Stephany's first official day as Orange County’s Medical Examiner, his actions throughout the past few days, coupled with his vast experience, make it clear that he is the right person for the job. Dr. Stephany has responded to these tragedies with the utmost care and professionalism."
