Samira Wiley ‘very affected’ with Orlando shooting
New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) “Orange Is the New Black” actress Samira Wiley, a lesbian, is still reeling from the shocking massacre of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando.
“Unfortunately when something like this happens, I am still so affected by it. The tragedy is so profound in my heart. Everybody is talking about it. I am reading about it in the papers… (People are) talking about terrorism,” Wiley told IANS over phone from Los Angeles.
On June 12, Afghan-origin Omar Mateen opened fire in the Pulse gay nightclub post midnight, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others with his wanton shooting, making it the deadliest mass shooting in the US history and worst terror strike after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
Wiley, who plays Poussey Washington in the prison drama TV series, is very affected with the incident. She believes that the crime was “very, very intentional”.
“I definitely don’t want to forget about the fact that I hate crime. 49 people (shot) in a gay club. That was very, very intentional. I just want to make sure we don’t forget that,” Wiley said.
“Especially when gay pride (parades) are happening in major cities US around the world. For me, in lack of knowing what to do, I think the biggest thing is just the awareness. So people need to be talking about it,” she added.