Grieving families begin to lay to rest 49 victims of Orlando mass shooting at Pulse

The grim work of laying to rest those killed in the gun violence at Pulse — the popular LGBT nightclub in Orlando — has started.

Within 72 hours of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history Sunday, 49 bodies were matched with their names and unfinished lives.

Anguished families received confirmation that, yes, their loved one — their child, brother, sister, spouse — was among the ones who will never come back.

All 49 bodies were released to funeral homes — a 'monumental' feat the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office said was accomplished through a tireless commitment to reunite families and ease suffering.

Now, amid the national reeling and debate over why mass shootings keep happening in America, 49 funerals are quietly taking place. Many of the ceremonies are in Orlando or surrounding communities. Some will happen elsewhere.

Thursday afternoon alone, mourners gathered in Kissimmee to honor Kimberly 'K.J.' Morris and in Orlando to honor Anthony Loreano Disla.

Morris, 37, had moved to Orlando from Hawaii and took a job as a Pulse bouncer a few months before the shooting.

Disla, 25, was born in Puerto Rico and moved to the continental United States to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional dancer.

Their ceremonies were private affairs. Those who mourned Morris and Disla declined to speak with reporters.

More funerals will happen in the coming days.

Shane Tomlinson, 34, is expected to be buried in North Carolina, his home state, said his mother, Corliss Tomlinson, in a phone interview.

Shane Tomlinson was the lead singer of a local cover band that had performed at Blue Martini in Naples. His family members started a GoFundMe page to aide his 'celebration of life services.'

They more than doubled their $10,000 goal.

Corliss Tomlinson said she planned to return to North Carolina on Friday with her son's body.

'It has been a long week,' she said. 'The outpouring of love has been amazing.'

The man who killed 49 people and injured 53 others at Pulse before dying himself is still under investigation.

Omar Mateen, 29, was transported separately from the scene of the crime. His remains were held in a building away from the victims, according to a statement from the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office.

'This is not a law or requirement, but rather done out of respect for the victims and their families so that the shooter may never be near the 49 beautiful souls again.'