Pulse nightclub has been demolished ten years after the mass shooting that killed 49 people marked one of the deadliest massacres in American history. <\/p>\n
The gay nightclub was officially torn down on Wednesday (March 19). The club first opened in 2004, by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler to honor the memory of Poma\u2019s brother. <\/p>\n
Per KATV<\/a>, the city of Orlando, which bought the property for $2 million in 2023, is set to construct a $12 million memorial for the victims of the mass shooting ten years ago, the second-deadliest mass shooting in the United States. <\/p>\n Pulse was hosting a Latin-themed night on June 11, 2016, when gunman Omar Mateen opened fire on the majority Puerto Rican and Latino crowd, killing 49 people and injuring 53. According to authorities, Mateen used legally purchased arms, including an AR-15 style rifle and a handgun, and during the shooting, he called 911 and pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS. After killing and holding many of the club\u2019s patrons hostage, Mateen was killed in a shootout with law enforcement almost four hours after he first attacked the nightclub. <\/p>\n A memorial that honors the victims and survivors of the Pulse nightclub shooting is set to open in late 2027, according to WFTV 9<\/a>. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer told the local channel that watching the demolition was an emotional moment. <\/p>\n \u201cI teared up yesterday; I wasn\u2019t expecting that,\u201d Dyer said to the outlet. \u201cToday, it seems more like not remembering the past, it\u2019s moving on to the future, and actually creating the memorial. I think each individual is in a different place in their healing and recovery. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s one emotion that encapsulates everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2021, former President Joe Biden named the site of Pulse nightclub a national memorial on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy, saying, \u201cWe must drive out hate and inequities that contribute to the epidemic of violence and murder against transgender women \u2014 especially transgender women of color.\u201d <\/p>\n