In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. History on Sunday, both Disney (DIS) and SeaWorld (SEAS) have issued statements following the tragedy at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
Orlando and its surrounding areas are home to major theme parks like SeaWorld, Universal Studios, and Disney World.
On Sunday, SeaWorld tweeted a response to the shooting and released a statement on the safety of its parks.
“The safety of our ambassadors, guests and animals has always been our top priority,” SeaWorld said in a statement. “Our security teams work closely with law enforcement, and we have enhanced security measures at all our parks … we do not comment on the details of our security measures in order to maintain their effectiveness.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those touched by the unimaginable events that occurred in Orlando early this morning.
— SeaWorld (@SeaWorld) June 12, 2016
Disney CEO Bob Iger released a statement on the shooting: “We are all heartbroken by the tragic and horrific events in Orlando, and offer our thoughts, prayers and support to everyone in our community affected by this senseless act.”
In December, Disney World installed metal detectors at the entrance to its parks. Universal Orlando and SeaWorld followed suit. According to an article from the Orlando Sentinel, there were long lines outside Disney World on Sunday as people were being ushered through metal detectors regardless if they had a bag or not.
Fifty people were killed in the shooting on Sunday in Orlando, including the gunman. Some 53 people were wounded. A GoFundMe campaign has raised $1.3 million to support the Orlando shooting victims.
