9 years after Pulse massacre, survivors revisit nightclub before building is demolished
The Orlando, Florida, community on Thursday evening is set to honor the 49 victims who were gunned down at the Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history at the time, though it was surpassed by the Las Vegas attack the following year.
The ninth anniversary of the attack comes as groups of victims and survivors this week visit Pulse -- once a popular gay nightclub -- for the last time before the building is razed so that the city can build a permanent memorial in its place. All of the furniture and the dance floor inside the building have been moved and the walls were painted black.
City of Orlando Outreach and Engagement Coordinator Donna Wyche told ABC affiliate in Orlando, WFTV, that the families of victims and survivors expressed that they wanted to visit the building before it is demolished.
"They've said very clearly we want to see it for one last time before it's gone. We want to be in that sacred place one more time where our loved ones take their last breath," Wyche said. "It's part of the journey of grief."
Pulse nightclub shooting survivor Joshua Hernandez told WFTV on Wednesday that he needs to go inside the nightclub so he can heal.
"It's going to feel horrible because I was in the restroom for three hours. So when I go to the restroom, it's going to be very, very sad for me," Hernandez, who was held hostage in the bathroom during the shooting, said.
"I'm not ready yet. It's hard. It's hurt me. I'm gonna be -- come out stronger. I'm gonna be stronger to do this, it's time to close the chapter of my life," he added.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who has been in office since 2003, also did a walk through of the building on Wednesday and reflected on the 2016 massacre.
"It took me back nine years and reflecting on being in the command center on Orange Avenue as all the things are transpiring then," Dyer told WFTV. "The realization of just how many people were impacted. I came out the second time and told everybody, it's not 20, it's 49 victims."
Family and friends of the victims, as well as survivors and advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, are set to gather at First United Methodist Church in downtown Orlando at 5:30 p.m. local time for a remembrance ceremony. Rick Scott, who was Florida's governor in 2016, declared June 12 Pulse Remembrance Day in Florida in 2018.
The City of Orlando purchased the Pulse nightclub site in October 2023 and committed to building a permanent memorial. Now, the city said plans are moving forward.
In March, the city of Orlando issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit a design-build firm for the permanent PulseMemorial, following the advancement of a conceptual design in February.
Proposals were submitted by May 29 -- the conceptual design includes a survivor's tribute wall, a reflection pool, a hearing garden and a private gathering space for reflection, according to the city. The memorial is slated to be complete by 2027, it noted.
