In Orlando, Florida, survivors and families of the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting mournfully revisited the site where the tragic event unfolded nine years ago. This visit marked their first opportunity to step back into the long-closed club before its transformation into a lasting memorial honoring what was once the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
Scheduled over several days, survivors and the deceased’s relatives could reflect inside the club for brief 30-minute sessions. The tragic night occurred on June 12, 2016, as Omar Mateen fired upon a crowd celebrating Latin night. The shooting resulted in 49 fatalities and 53 injuries before Mateen was fatally shot by police following a tense standoff. At the time, the massacre was unprecedented in its brutality until the 2017 Las Vegas shooting surpassed its death toll.
In 2023, Orlando city authorities took ownership of the Pulse nightclub site for $2 million, announcing plans for a $12 million memorial debuting in 2027. This move follows a failed attempt by a private group led by the club’s previous owner to create a similar memorial. The existing structure of the nightclub is slated for demolition later this year.
Among those returning to the nightclub was Christine Leinonen, whose son Christopher “Drew” Leinonen perished in the massacre. Although she had been an outspoken critic of law enforcement’s response to the shooting and the venue’s owner, she yearned to see the location where her son had died. Leinonen emphasized, “It’s not closure. It’s pragmatic for me because I needed to see the space. I needed to see how big it was. I would have regretted it if I didn’t go through it.”
The revisitation holds special significance as it coincides with the shooting’s ninth anniversary. Over the years, the venue has become a solemn site of remembrance, with images of the victims, rainbow flags, and floral tributes adorning its exterior. Yet very few have ventured inside until now.
About 250 individuals who suffered losses in the tragedy accepted Orlando’s invitation to tour the nightclub this week. Families of the 49 fatalities could be accompanied by up to six people, while survivors could bring along one companion. The site was prepared with cleaning and lighting for these memorable visits.
Visitors were provided the rare chance to engage with FBI agents who had investigated the attack, though no photography or video recording was allowed. Ensuring privacy, a security screen concealed the entrance as guests arrived by a small bus and filed into a white tent preceding the club.
Brandon Wolf, a survivor who had hidden in a bathroom during the shooting, chose not to attend largely due to his new residence in Washington. Reflecting on the significance of the site, he stated, “I will say that the site of the tragedy is where I feel closest to the people who were stolen from me.” Wolf, now a prominent figure in the Human Rights Campaign, acknowledged the emotional difficulty of re-entering the space for many survivors.
Counselors specializing in mental health were present to support visitors during their time of reflection.
During the years since the shooting, victims’ families and survivors had anticipated the establishment of a permanent memorial. Unfortunately, efforts by the onePulse Foundation, led by former owner Barbara Poma, attempted but struggled to bring such a project to fruition before dissolving in 2023.
The Foundation’s initial blueprint, revealed in 2019, aimed at creating a museum and memorial at an estimated cost of $45 million, with projections eventually doubling to $100 million. Facing these challenges, the city of Orlando proposed a more economically viable memorial without a museum component.
Speaking to the indelible impact on the community, Wolf remarked, “The building may come down, and we may finally get a permanent memorial, but that doesn’t change the fact that this community has been scarred for life. There are people inside the community who still need and will continue to need support and resources.”