Florida Dem ends campaign after claim she removed ‘77 bullets’ from Pulse shooting victims challenged

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A Democratic candidate for Florida’s House reportedly has ended her campaign after being challenged on her detailed and graphic claims she treated victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting.

“I personally removed 77 bullets from 32 people … It was like an assembly line,” candidate Elizabeth McCarthy had claimed at a gun safety event earlier this year.

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But FloridaPolitics.com published a report earlier this month challenging her claims she worked as a cardiologist at Orlando Regional Medical Center

The report listed the following discrepancies: the Florida Department of Health did not have a record of her being a licensed doctor; the parent company of the medical center said there’s no record of any doctor by that name; another company the candidate claimed to be working for denied she worked there; and University of Central Florida officials said they couldn't find a record of the medical degree she claimed.

The report said that officials confirmed she was a registered nurse until 2005, and that she later started a medical company that was in business through 2014.

At first, the candidate maintained she is a doctor when asked about the conflicting details.

“Yes, I did work the night of Pulse,” she said, according to FloridaPolitics.com. “It hurts me … why would I make something like this up? … I was an RN for 25 years. I’ve been in the medical field all my life.”

But the same news outlet reported Friday that she’s now dropping out.

“After thoughtful contemplation, due to professional obligations, I am withdrawing as a Democratic candidate seeking the nomination and election in Florida House District 28,” McCarthy reportedly wrote in an email.

She had previously appeared at events alongside U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., who had touted her medical background and work the night of the Pulse shooting.

But after her resume and personal narrative were questioned, party leaders had called on her to prove her medical credentials or drop out.

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The leader of the Seminole County Democratic Party told The New York Post they were suspending support “until she provides transcripts, diplomas, licenses, letters from employers and proof of her involvement in the Pulse tragedy.”