John Dunnett, living in Orlando, visited nightclub hours before shooting

A Moncton man now living in Orlando says members of the LGBTQ community in the Florida city are feeling "vulnerable but strong" since the weekend shooting at a popular gay bar.

John Dunnett describes the past few days as surreal.

"I can't even really explain it … if you want to know how I feel, the legitimate and honest answer is just numb," Dunnett told Information Morning Moncton.

Authorities say 49 people are dead and 53 others wounded after Omar Mateen opened fire with an assault rifle inside the Pulse nightclub early Sunday. He was killed by police.

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"We've all dealt with loss in our own lives but this is the first time this is a loss for me that stems from nothing more than hate and that's kind of a tough pill to swallow," Dunnett said.

Dunnett was celebrating on Saturday night with friends and stopped by the Pulse nightclub earlier in the evening for a drink.

A gay club isn't just a club, it's kind of a sanctuary or a place of worship in a weird sense.- John Dunnett

He found out about the attack just minutes after it began on social media, but originally wasn't alarmed, thinking it was a jealous boyfriend or girlfriend who would be apprehended by police.

"We very quickly learned as a community that this just wasn't a typical gun incident that seems to happen all too often here in the States … it was very clear early on that it was something of a different magnitude happening and it's a very isolating feeling," Dunnett said.

'One of our places is completely gone'

Dunnett said it is difficult to explain the importance of a gay bar to people outside of the LGBTQ community.

"A gay club isn't just a club, it's kind of a sanctuary or a place of worship in a weird sense. It's somewhere we all have ownership over," he said.

Information Morning - Moncton9:58Moncton man in Orlando

John Dunnett of Moncton was at the Pulse nightclub just hours before the shooting."If you've never had to question holding hands with someone that you love walking down the street, if you've never had to question justifying feelings you have no control over to your family … then you can't really understand what it is to be attacked in a place that is a place where you can be yourself."

Dunnett said he has been heartened by the show of support from around the world, including his hometown of Moncton where 200 people gathered on Monday night to hold a vigil in memory of the victims.

"I feel so privileged to have grown up in a place like Moncton — to have been accepted for who I am, never questioned and I just think that it's so great to see the community coming together … and it makes me proud to be from Moncton," Dunnett said.

"Although I'm safe, although my friends are safe there is something that's lost. A sense of — I don't know — freedom almost. I don't think it has settled in for a number of people that one of our places is completely gone."