Couple separated in Pulse shooting tells stories of survival

Javier Nava and Adrian Lopez both survived the Pulse shooting

ORLANDO, Fla. – They are together today, but for hours on the morning of June 12, Javier Nava and Adrian Lopez didn't know if they would ever see each other again.

"I just kept thinking, 'Where was Adrian?' If he was alive," said Javier Nava.

Nava worried about his husband Adrian, even though he was the one shot. He told News 6 he actually felt guilty while finding safety inside an upstairs office at Pulse.

"I just felt guilty because I ran from him," Nava said.

But Adrian had already made it out of Pulse and was safe. The two husbands are back together to tell News 6 their stories of how they survived.

"The guy was just shooting at people patiently, he wasn't even moving around," Lopez said. "He wasn't taking steps, he was just shooting at people in the same spot. That's when I realized I needed to get out of there."

They both shared their stories to Secretary Hillary Clinton before she hosted a roundtable discussion about Pulse in Orlando last week.

"She was very compassionate," Nava said. "She asked, 'How do you feel? Do you have the right help?’"

Issues surrounding the attack, from gay rights to gun rights, have all taken center stage on both sides this election season.

Both Javier and Adrian telling News 6 they don't mind using something so personal for them if it inspires change for everyone.

"I don't feel used at all," Lopez said. "I think this is our opportunity, since we were gunned down basically by someone who had access to buy a military gun and rifle like he was going to the grocery store, I think this is our opportunity to stand up and say that guns shouldn't be allowed for normal people."

For this reason, Javier and Adrian are throwing their support behind Hillary Clinton, hoping for stricter gun laws.