Brenda Lee Marquez-McCool: ‘Beautiful person,' mother, cancer survivor

McCool survived by her 11 children

Brenda Lee Marquez -McCool, 49, was a mother and two-time cancer survivor.

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49, was a mother to 11 children, beat cancer twice and often went dancing at the Pulse nightclub with her son.

She was at the nightclub with her son, Isaiah Henderson, on June 12, 2016. He survived the shooting, but McCool did not.

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Henderson said his mother risked her life to save him by telling him to get down while she shielded him from the bullets.

"Brenda Marquez was a beautiful person. She always looked out for her kids, and she lost her life protecting one of them," said one of McCool's relatives at her memorial service.

Outside that service, dozens of bikers from the Latin American Motorcycle Association gathered to protect the family from protesters.

They said McCool participated in their events, cookouts and other gatherings. Now, they wanted to show their support.

"Everybody's been looking out for one another," a family member said. "Everybody's been supporting one another. Orlando is Orlando."

 


About the Author:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

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