Man accused of setting fire to Pulse memorial found incompetent to proceed with trial
Almost two and a half years after a fire damaged the temporary memorial outside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, the man accused of sparking it has been found incompetent to stand trial, Orange County court records show
Pulse nightclub victims remembered on 7th anniversary of massacre
Across central Florida, the 49 victims killed and dozens more survivors of the massacre at a gay-friendly nightclub were remembered with the unveiling of a 44-foot (13.4-meter) -wide mural and an overnight vigil at the site of the Pulse club on the seventh anniversary of the tragedy.
Pulse memorial site to move after OnePULSE, nightclub owner unable to reach agreement
The onePULSE Foundation announced the National Pulse Memorial will be built on a different site after it was unable to reach an agreement with founder Barbara Poma and associates for the donation of the nightclub property.
Florida’s PTSD law helps former officer cope with carnage witnessed at Pulse shooting
Adam Gruler, a former police officer who was working security the night of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, was allowed to step down from his post with worker’s compensation benefits because of the state's PTSD legislation.
‘We just want to live:’ Pulse survivor testifies before Congress on recent anti-LGBTQ hate, violence
A Pulse nightclub shooting survivor, alongside other victims of mass shootings, testified before a congressional committee aiming to examine the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ extremism and violence in the United States on Wednesday.
Federal appeals court clears social media companies in Pulse shooting lawsuit
A federal appeals court Monday rejected a lawsuit alleging that Twitter, Google and Facebook should be held liable in the 2016 massacre at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub after Islamic State social-media posts radicalized shooter Omar Mateen.
Friday marks 4 years since the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. – Four years ago Friday, a gunman opened fire at Pulse nightclub in Orlando’s SoDo neighborhood, killing 49 people and injuring dozens of others. [READ: 49 bell tolls ring throughout Orlando, 4 years after Pulse nightclub attack | Rainbow emerges during Pulse remembrance ceremony]In 2018, the wounds were reopened when the gunman’s widow stood trial for her alleged role in the terror attack. While June 12, known as Orlando United Day, is usually marked somber gatherings with candles and moments of silence, this year will be different. Poma said even though the community can't gather for the remembrance ceremony, we still need to remember and honor our angels. Regardless of how it is honored, June 12 will be a day Orlandoans will never forget.
Florida representatives push to make Pulse nightclub a National Memorial Site
ORLANDO, Fla. – Democratic Rep. Darren Soto, of Florida, announced Friday that he is submitting legislation to establish the Pulse nightclub as a federally recognized National Memorial Site. The legislation was a combined effort between Soto, along with Florida Representatives Stephanie Murphy and Val Demings. The bill will be brought to the House floor for a vote by the end of June, according to a news release. “I am pleased to announce that Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has committed to bringing our bill to the House Floor for a vote before the end of June. According to a new release, the legislation passed by unanimous consent on March 11 in the House Committee on Natural Resources.
49 bell tolls ring throughout Orlando, 4 years after Pulse nightclub attack
ORLANDO, Fla. – On the eve of the fourth year since the attack at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, community members, and churches around the world will honor the lives lost virtually this year. "In the last 4 years, we have seen growth we have seen some change through the acts of love and kindness movement," Robin Maynard-Harris, the leader of the 49 Bells Movement said. Maynard-Harris says in the past three years, about 700 churches from 16 countries have joined the tolling of the 49 bells on June 12th. It will be done through the One Orlando Alliance Facebook page where anyone can watch and share the page on social media. To join the tolling of the 49 bells on Friday, visit the One Orlando Alliance Facebook page and click on the “get reminder” tab.
What's next for Noor Salman after being found not guilty?
ORLANDO, Fla. – Noor Salman, the widow of the Pulse nightclub gunman, is now a free woman after spending more than a year in federal custody. Salman was released from jail shortly before 1 p.m.[READ: Who is Noor Salman, widow of Pulse gunman Omar Mateen?] When asked what the future looks like for Salman, her attorney Fritz Scheller replied, "She's going to be a mother." Full Screen 1 / 31 Protestors are seen outside Pulse on March 30, 2018 after a jury found Noor Salman not guilty of aiding and abetting in her husband's attack on the nightclub. Clary has asked the media in both Florida and California to provide Salman with space and privacy and she reunites with her family.
Salman family apologizes to Pulse victims after not guilty verdict
ORLANDO, Fla. – Minutes after Noor Salman, the widow of Pulse gunman Omar Mateen, was found not guilty of helping her husband during a terrorist attack at an Orlando nightclub, her family addressed the media. Family spokeswoman Susan Clary apologized to the Pulse victims in her opening line:"On this Good Friday, the (Salman) family really wants to very first say, 'We are very sorry for the family members and friends of the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting and the survivors.' Lastly, Noor Salman's cousin, Susan Adieh, addressed the media:"No matter what's going to happen, guilty or not, (the Pulse victims) are not coming back. As the verdict was being read by the jury foreman, Noor Salman's hands were visibly shaking. Her family gasped at the not guilty verdict and all of them began sobbing and holding each other.
New videos show Pulse nightclub gunman prepping for attack
ORLANDO, Fla. – Jurors in the trial of Noor Salman viewed newly-released surveillance videos Thursday showing the defendant's husband buying weapons and casing possible targets including Walt Disney World prior to the Pulse nightclub attack. Investigators said they found Mateen's employer-issued weapon in his rental van outside Pulse nightclub. In a statement to the FBI the day after the Pulse attack, Salman reportedly told agents she and her husband drove around the Pulse nightclub for about 20 minutes after leaving the Kissimmee restaurant. The FBI agent believes the family could not have made the 35-mile round-trip drive to Pulse nightclub in 47 minutes. Cellular location data suggests Mateen then began driving south on Orange Avenue towards Pulse nightclub, where authorities said he began shooting patrons at 2:02 a.m.