The City of Orlando has purchased the Pulse nightclub with the intention of creating a memorial for the 49 victims of the homophobic mass shooting that took place on June 12, 2016. This site had been operating as a gay bar and nightclub since 2004 before Omar Mateen launched an attack, killing 49 people and injuring 68. The FBI classified this attack as a terrorist attack in which Mateen pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State prior to the attack.
The unanimous decision by the Orlando city commissioners to buy the property for $2 million on October 23 ended a several-year attempt to obtain the building through a previous bid which was declined by the owner, Barbara Poma. Instead of selling the property, Poma established a charity organization named the onePULSE Foundation just after the 2016 tragedy. This non-profit aims to “create a sanctuary of hope and honour and preserve the legacy of the 49 people killed, 68 injured and countless others who were affected.”
Deborah Bowie succeeded Barbara Poma as the executive director of the onePULSE Foundation in May 2022. The Foundation thanked the City of Orlando for ensuring that the National Pulse Memorial would be established at the nightclub site. Bowie noted that this outcome was always the hope of the families of the 49 victims and the Pulse-impacted community. Alongside the memorial, a museum and education center will also be established about one third of a mile from the nightclub. Plans also include the creation of a survivor’s walk, tracing the three-block journey of the victims and first responders as they made their way to the Orlando Regional Medical Center.
To support the onePULSE Foundation, one can visit their official website and donate
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