Mina Justice had been sleeping when she awoke to find two frightened texts from her beloved son, Eddie, at 2.06am on Sunday 12th June.

They read: “Mommy I love you.

"In club they shooting.”

Mina immediately tried to phone her son, but he did not answer, so she text him instead.

“U ok?” she wrote, desperate trying to remain calm for her son.

Eddie Justice, Go Fund Me

He replied: “Trapp in bathroom,” before telling her that he was being held hostage in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub.

He then asked her to call the police, pleading: “Call them mommy. Now.”

Terrified for her son, Mina did as he asked, calling the police and sending a frantic series of texts.

But, at that moment, she still had no idea that her son was caught up in the midst of what has now been deemed the worst mass shooting in American history.

At 2am, Omar Mateen had entered the nightclub armed with an assault rifle, handgun, and explosive device.

He fired relentlessly, shooting at both police and clubbers, before taking hostages.

At 2:09 am, someone posted a frantic message to Pulse Orlando’s Facebook page: “Everyone get out of pulse and keep running.”

Officers, however, were forced to delay their assault because of the civilians that had been taken hostage.

For three hours, they negotiated with the gunman over the phone.

During that time, no more shots were fired.

Mina was unaware of all of the above; instead, she believed that police, who were at the club, had entered the building and worked on rescuing her son.

But, at 02:39, Eddie sent a text that struck fear into her heart.

It read simply: ”He's coming. I'm gonna die".

Mina asked her son, who worked as an accountant in central Orlando, which bathroom he was in - and if anyone else was hurt

"Lots. Yes," was his response.

She then told him that police were there and to let her know when he saw them. She also asked him if the man was in the bathroom with him.

"He's a terror," he replied at 02:50. "Yes."

“Are you hurt?” asked Mina desperately.

“Stay there [in the bathroom] he don’t like gay people,” she wrote again.

Panicking over her son’s silence, Mina then begged: “Text me please.

“I love u.”

Eddie, tragically, never answered.

Read their full text message exchange below:

The City of Orlando has now confirmed that the 30-year-old was shot dead by gunman Omar Mateen on Sunday morning, just one of the 50 people fatally wounded in the attack.

Another 53 people were injured, with many remaining in a critical condition.

Speaking about Mateen, who was killed when police crashed the building with an armoured vehicle at 5am, Orlando Police Chief John Mina said: "It appears he was organised and well-prepared.”

He added that even the most hardened police officers, who combed the building for survivors and to identify the dead, had been left utterly shaken by what they had seen.

“Just to look into the eyes of our officers told the whole story,” he said.

“It’s one of the worst tragedies we’ve seen.”

ISIS have since claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it “was carried out by an Islamic State fighter,” according to a transcript provided by the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks jihadist propaganda.

However officials have cautioned that even if Mr. Mateen was inspired by the group, there was no indication that it had trained or instructed him, or had any direct connection with him.

Many Muslim groups have condemned the attack.

Rasha Mubarak, the Orlando regional coordinator of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said: "We condemn this monstrous attack and offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of all those killed or injured.

“The Muslim community joins our fellow Americans in repudiating anyone or any group that would claim to justify or excuse such an appalling act of violence.”

Meanwhile Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has also paid tribute to the victims via Facebook.

He wrote emotionally: “Londoners across our city stand shoulder to shoulder alongside our brothers and sisters in Orlando.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all the victims of this horrific attack. #lovewins”

You can support the victims of Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub via this Go Fund Me Page, which promises to deliver the money raised directly to the victims and families affected by the horrific shooting.