Stanley Almodovar III was a 23-year-old pharmacy technician who loved his family dearly and died shielding others from gunfire the morning of June 12, 2016.
The last video Almodovar posted on social media showed him laughing and singing on the way to the Pulse Nightclub the night of June 11.
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His mother, Rosalia Ramos, told News 6 he was supposed to connect with his younger brother that night to celebrate his birthday. She said for some reason he never made the call.
"He was in front of the other people to protect the people that were behind him," she said. "But now, he's not here. Now, I have to live with it."
Shortly after the shooting at Pulse, Almodovar's home of Clermont recognized him for his bravery, declaring June 28 as Stanley Almodovar Day.
Clermont Mayor Gail Ash called the young man a hero.
“He put other people’s lives in front of his own. He gave his life for others,” Ash said. “How do you not recognize that?”
