Marine Vet's Quick Actions Saved Dozens of Lives During Orlando Nightclub Shooting

Marine Corps Times

When Imran Yousuf, a bouncer at the Pulse nightclub, heard the gunfire break out early Sunday morning, he told CBS News that recognized it immediately.

"You could just tell it was a high caliber," said Yousuf, a former sergeant who just left the Marine Corps last month. That's when his Marine Corps training kicked in, he said. He ran toward a locked door that people had huddled around, too terrified to move.

“I'm screaming 'Open the door! Open the door!'” Yousuf told CBS. “And no one is moving because they are scared.

"There was only one choice — either we all stay there and we all die, or I could take the chance, and I jumped over to open that latch and we got everyone that we can out of there."

The tragedy at Pulse has left the US shaken so I think it's important to share hero stories. This is the first one I found. Imran Yousuf estimates that about 70 people made it out of the exit he created. If not for him the death toll may have been 119. I hope more stories like this come out, focusing on the good even in terrible situations is what helps heal.

a reply to: Kali74

If he had a gun, the death toll might have been even fewer, just saying.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Kali74

If he had a gun, the death toll might have been even fewer, just saying.

If there was even ONE armed citizen with minimal firearms training in the club this could have had a much better ending.

I'm waiting for victims to sue a club (or movie theater) that enforces a gun free zone but doesn't provide adequate protection to the people inside.

a reply to: Kali74

Excellent, Kali.

More Orlando Heroes

Out of this senseless act of violence, heroes rose to the call.
Heroes who put themselves in harm's way to save others.
Heroes who were enjoying their night before chaos erupted.
Here are their stories.

When I read stories like these, I can't help but have hope for humanity... And then I read about people using the tragedy to make a political point and I get a little sick.

a reply to: Kali74

Thats good but this incident is surrounded by the usual oddities and inconsistencies.

Maybe some of these questions have been addressed but I'll post them anyway:


The father was apparently a DC insider and a possible CIA asset.

The shooter was assigned informants or "handlers" by the FBI.

Why did the police allow the rampage to continue for 3 hours uninterrupted?

Where are the 50 bodies (or some images of them)?

Where were the tons and tons of ambulances, EMTs and first responders?

Why didnt people call 911 for help instead of posting on twitter and facebook?

Where are the pictures and videos from inside the club?

How many of the "victims" were shot by police?

Why were exits locked in the first place?

I would be more concerned that the emergency exit door was LOCKED in the first place!!! That is (obviously as demonstrated) a SERIOUS safety violation. I will bet even more people would have survived had those exit doors NOT been locked at all.

a reply to: intrptr

I second that....

I've been thinking about this really hard lately as we all have been.

As much as I hate govt regulation, maybe we should be forced to have X number of private concealed armed security when your establishment reaches a certain capacity of patrons.

more guns oooohhh my could that be the answer?

a reply to: GraffikPleasure

We dont need more regulations and mandates.

Just get rid of these g-damn victim disarmament zones already.

Is there going to be a learning curve? Yes.

Is this a perfect solution? No.

But the alternative is that all the victims/potential targets are defenseless...

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Thanks for that link.

Gun free zones are know as target rich environments.

Gun laws didn't stop the Paris attacks and will not stop them in America. Anyone that is willing to murder dozens of people will not even blink at breaking a few laws to obtain an illegal firearm.

Armed bouncers would have likely prevented many deaths in the case.

originally posted by: jjkenobi

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Kali74

If he had a gun, the death toll might have been even fewer, just saying.

If there was even ONE armed citizen with minimal firearms training in the club this could have had a much better ending.

I'm waiting for victims to sue a club (or movie theater) that enforces a gun free zone but doesn't provide adequate protection to the people inside.

You mean as opposed to the ONE armed cop with training that engaged the shooter within seconds of the outbreak of shooting? And then the three others that showed up inside what, two minutes?



@ OP - good story and thanks for posting. Nice to hear things like this in the wake of tragedy.

a reply to: jjkenobi

I'm waiting for victims to sue a club (or movie theater) that enforces a gun free zone but doesn't provide adequate protection to the people inside.

I know, the lawsuits are brought against the gun manufacturer.

The trend is towards fewer firearms in the hands of the law abiding public at large, which actually results in more carnage. Like you said, if even one person had a gun… this would be a sideline. Because the media down plays self defense and over plays what they refer to as 'gun crime' and 'gun violence'.

They use these incidents to play up more gun control (making the public more vulnerable).

a reply to: gladtobehere

I agree with you.. I prefer it..

It's just I'm trying to be central on the issue I guess and not pushing an agenda.. not that you are or anything but that is how many view common sense these days

a reply to: GraffikPleasure

As much as I hate govt regulation, maybe we should be forced to have X number of private concealed armed security when your establishment reaches a certain capacity of patrons.

Armed guards everywhere smacks too much of police state.

Fewer restrictions on self protection in public makes it harder for these cowards that shoot defenseless people to pick someplace they know is filled with disarmed patrons.

If someone would PM me with how this guy got in in the first place? Everyone else is frisked and or passed through a metal detector, aren't they?

a reply to: gladtobehere

I agree that we do not need more regulations. However, if existing safety regulations were enforced, and randomly verified by inspectors (even patrons can do this and report any violations) then it is very likely more people would have been able to more easily escape alive through UNLOCKED exit doors.

Ever hear of the 1942 Coconut Grove fire in Boston, MA? Yeah, that is basically what we had here, but with a different twist as this was not a fire, but a massacre.

The grand jury issued ten indictments to people deemed to be responsible for the fire. Barnett (Barney) Welansky, the owner, and James Welansky, Barney’s brother and the person in charge of the club that night, and Jacob Goldfine, wine steward, were charged with manslaughter. Fire Lieut. Frank Linney was charged with neglect of duties in his role of inspecting the Cocoanut Grove. Police Captain Buccigross, who had been on duty at the Grove the night of the fire, was charged with neglection of duties. Charged with conspiracy to violate building codes were Theodore Eldracher, Boston Building Inspector, Ruben Bodenhorn, architect and interior designer, Samuel Rudnick, contractor, and David Gilbert, foreman.

More specifically, the charges around the violation of building codes applies in this case in Orlando IMO.

Fire Lieut. Frank J. Linney’s trial on the charges of neglect of duty started on October 26, 1943. Assistant District Attorney Fredrick Doyle said “We are not charging corruption. We are offering to show that the defendant failed to carry out his duties, that his inspection of the Cocoanut Grove premises was not even a perfunctory one, that he failed to note the non-existence of fire doors, or the bolts on panic doors which rendered those doors unusable.” Lieut. Linney was eventually found not guilty and acquitted of the charges against him.

Cocnut Grove Fire - Cause and Legal charges

a reply to: jjkenobi

Actually the weapons free zone is a state law. The club has no choice to enforce it.

This is what im talking about with gun control. Only law abiding citizens are going to be affected by gun control laws. While the people in the club complied with the law the very law meant to protect them ended up killing them.

I dont care what the politicians keep repeating. Law Enforcement is not always going to be the first line of defense. The people caught in those situations will be.

a reply to: Xcathdra

As the saying goes, when seconds count, law enforcement is just minutes away. My state recently lifted the ban on concealed carry in ABC establishments. You still can't imbibe while carrying, and if you do and get caught it's a pretty harsh penalty. But at least people can carry.

I think this situation is very much the exception to the rule in most places: there was a nearly immediate armed response to the attack. But that response was severely outgunned. Had there been a bigger response in a shorter period of time, it may have had an impact. Who knows though. Hindsight is hindsight.

a reply to: Krakatoa

Just as a little followup to the "patrons can report" aspect. I have done that myself when I have been in a store or restaurant when I have seen shelves or other items blocking the fire exit (done for aesthetic purposes to hide their look). I have spoken directly to managers about it, and that if reported, they could face stiff fines if it continued. Of course, most didn't even KNOW the codes existed.....right (ignorance of the law is no excuse in court). I would rather look and appear as an axx than to know I said nothing and someone dies as a result of a fire or something like this happening.

We are all responsible to have some situational awareness when we enter a place with a great number of people. Does it excuse the shooter in this ace, HECK NO. But, had someone noticed the emergency exit doors locked, and said something, or reported it prior to this event, it might have been a lot less deadly and saved some lives.

a reply to: Shamrock6

Quite frankly, I can't think of anything much I'd less want to do than engage in a shoot out in a theatre, bar or concert.

a reply to: intrptr

I'm not saying government (state or federal) guards, I'm saying the establishment has a responsibility to have armed guards. That's not close to having a police state because it's not government controlled.

Though I bring this issue up, the failed logic in my thinking is, this guy was part of a security firm! But, he was being watched federally and in my opinion is the biggest problem here, why he was taken off. This is the biggest issue. Because the government was warned several times about him.