PULSE SHOOTING: Lakeland singer and songwriter dedicates song to victims

A Lakeland singer and songwriter helped create an emotional music video dedicated to the 49 victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

• “Love Wins" written last summer for marriage equality
• Singer and songwriter Michael McArthur decided to film music video after shooting to capture everyone coming together in wake of the shooting.

Michael McArthur released his new song, “Love Wins,” on June 17, accompanied by its new music video which he posted to Facebook.

"I wrote the song last summer when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality," said singer Michael McArthur. "And originally the plan was to do a music video, and get the song out."

McArthur said the project was delayed until the shooting happened. He and videographer Dan Austin went to Orlando the following day to attend the vigil and capture imagery of everyone coming together in the shadows of the horrible tragedy.

Austin worked on the video throughout the week, matching it to McArthur’s lyrics. McArthur released it on his Facebook page Friday.

“I thought it was important to get this song and the video out in a timely manner because I felt like people needed it. My hope for this song is that it touches hearts,” McArthur explained.

“It was incredible to see the different kinds of couples and the different kinds of families that were out there,” recalled Dan Austin. Austin made sure to include that diversity in the music video.

Austin said McArthur reached out to people organizing vigils around the world and asked them to send photos so he could include them in the project as well.

“Lots of people sent in photos, and even a video from Tokyo, so it was something we definitely had to include in the video,” Austin said.

McArthur said he wanted to include the vigils in his music video, so that people wouldn’t forget. As of June 22, the video had more than 50,000 views.

“I don’t know the impact it’ll have,” McArthur said. “But I do know that it is affecting people in the way that it was intended to, and that was to provide some comfort to the people that are hurting.”