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April 25, 2015

June 12, 2016:  PULSE NIGHT CLUB SHOOTING

Background

 

  • Pulse was a Gay Bar and Nightclub located in Orlando, Florida. It was a popular establishment for the LGBT community around the Orlando area. Pulse hosted cabaret performances, drag shows and themed events.

  • On June 12, 2016, around 2:00 AM following the bar’s last call, Omar Mateen entered the nightclub and killed 49 people and wounded 53 others. The club was hosting a “Latin Night” on this night and most of the victims were Latinx.

  • It was the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in the history of United States however it is unclear if it was meant to be an anti-gay hate crime.

  • The shooter Googled “Nightclubs, Orlando” which led him to this popular location.

pulse.jpg
Image from https://time.com/4365325/orlando-shooting-pulse-nightclub-deadliest-history/

  • The shooter called 9-1-1 after the shooting began to inform the operator that he had sworn allegiance to ISIS which made it the largest terrorist attack since September 11th.

  • The shooter claimed that the attacks were in retaliation for the United States bombing Isis hideouts in the Middle East.

  • Mateen held hostages in the bathroom for three hours while receiving phone calls from the Police in which he refused to end until America pays for bombing the Middle East, seeking revenge for Islamic leaders that had recently passe due to air strikes.

 

 
Psychological Impact

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  • Orlando Fire Department  completed their active shooter training and ordered more crisis supplies. Orlando Police Department upgraded their equipment as well since they were not prepared for that level of attack on the night of the shooting.

  • Pulse Nightclub has not re-opened. Many offers to buy the nightclub were offered to the owners however they were all turned down. The club owner is considering making Pulse into a memorial site to be opened in 2020.

  • A new fence was created around the club that included art from local artists in order to provide additional protection to the building and provide an opportunity for a memorial for the victims.

  • Many businesses throughout the country examined their own security practices and many of the nightclubs around Orlando installed metal detectors.

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