The former owners of Pulse nightclub will not face charges for the 2016 mass shooting in Florida that killed 49 people, according to the Orlando Police Department on Wednesday.
Despite calls from victims’ families and survivors for authorities to hold the owners accountable for alleged criminal negligence, the Orlando Police Department said it has closed its investigation into the former owners.
In a statement to the Associated Press (AP) this week, the police confirmed that Barbara and Rosario Poma, the former owners of the LGBTQ+-friendly club, will not face any charges due to a lack of probable cause for involuntary manslaughter.
The decision follows extensive interviews with around two dozen individuals, including survivors and family members of those who were killed in the attack. They had raised concerns about various safety and management issues at the club, including unapproved renovations, potential overcrowding and inadequate security measures.
In addition, the individuals interviewed also criticized the lack of building plans available to first responders during the three-hour standoff with gunman Omar Mateen.
Newsweek reached out to the Orlando Police Department via email on Wednesday for comment.
William True pays his respects for the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting at the front of the nightclub building on June 21, 2016, in Orlando, Florida. The former owners of Pulse nightclub will not face charges for the 2016 mass shooting, according to the Orlando Police Department.
Gerardo Mora/Getty Images
Mateen opened fire during a Latin night celebration on June 12, 2016, leaving 49 dead and 53 wounded. Mateen, who had proclaimed his allegiance to the Islamic State group, was killed by police after the three-hour standoff.
Despite the allegations about the club owners, the police found no evidence that the Pomas acted “with a reckless disregard for human life,” and “they could not have reasonably foreseen or anticipated a terrorist incident taking place at Pulse,” investigators wrote in a report.
Investigators also noted that the absence of building plans did not hinder the rescue operations and that it was impossible to verify the number of people present in the club on the night of the tragedy. Additionally, the city of Orlando had not taken any action against the nightclub for its interior modifications, and there were too many uncertainties surrounding how Mateen gained entry to the venue.
In the aftermath of the shooting, which was the deadliest in modern U.S. history at the time, the Pulse property was sold to the city of Orlando for $2 million last year.
However, before selling the property, Barbara Poma faced further scrutiny for her involvement with the onePulse Foundation, a nonprofit she co-founded to honor the victims and establish a memorial. Poma eventually stepped down from her role as executive director in 2022 following criticism over her intent to sell the Pulse property rather than donate it.
This comes as the debate over what to do with the sites of mass shootings has become part of a larger struggle communities across the nation continue to face after lives have been lost.
According to Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, an independent, non-partisan organization dedicated to reducing gun violence in the U.S., over 19,000 people were shot and killed or wounded in the United States in a mass shooting in the eight years between 2015 and 2022.
Meanwhile, the city’s plans for the site have since shifted, with initial proposals for a $100 million museum being abandoned in favor of a more modest memorial. An advisory board has been established to guide the design and development of this tribute to the victims.
