Pulse shooting survivors to revisit nightclub before it’s demolished
49 people were killed in the attack on Pulse nightclub, Orlando in 2016. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
49 people were killed in the attack on Pulse nightclub, Orlando in 2016. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Survivors of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting are set to revisit the site of the tragedy before it’s pulled down and transformed into a memorial.
49 people were killed and 53 wounded in the attack on the gay club in Orlando, Florida, nine years ago, which was the deadliest mass shooting in US history at the time. However, that was surpassed by the 2017 Las Vegas shooting that left 58 people dead and more than 850 injured.
The city of Orlando purchased the nightclub building for $2 million (approximately £1.6 million at the time) in 2023, in the hope of converting it into a “proper memorial” to honour the victims and their families.
The memorial, believed to be costing $12 million (£8.9 million), is set to be unveiled in 2027. The old building will be demolished later this year.
A makeshift memorial is currently in place at the venue, featuring photos of the victims, Pride flags and flowers, and some 250 survivors and family members of those killed have responded to the city’s invitation to walk through the nightclub this week, in small groups over four days.
Family members of the 49 people who were killed are allowed to visit the site with up to six people. Survivors, who have repeatedly called for gun law reform in the years since the incident, will be allowed to bring one person with them.
‘It will be really hard’
They will be given the chance to ask questions of FBI special agents who investigated the massacre, ABC News reported.
Brandon Wolf, who hid in a toilet when gunman Omar Mateen opened fire, has chosen not to visit.
Now the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, Wolf said: “The site of the tragedy is where I feel closest to the people who were stolen from me. For survivors, the last time they were in that space was the worst night possible. It will be really hard to be in that space again.”
Vigils are held at the site every year.
It’s believed that about 320 people were in the club when Mateen entered the building with two guns. Many called and texted friends and loved ones, appealing for help.
At 2.09am, a chilling message was posted on the venue’s Facebook page, saying: “Everyone get out of Pulse and keep running.” The youngest victim was 18, the oldest 50.
Mateen was shot dead after a three-hour standoff with police. A jury cleared his widow of aiding and abetting, and of obstructing justice, in 2018.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
