WATCH: WESH 2's Chronicle, 'Life After Pulse'

IT WAS LATIN NIGHT AT PULSE NIGHTCLUB, A POPULAR LGBTQ PLUS CLUB IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO. NO, LATINA WAS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AND THE CLUB WAS BUSY AT 200 AND 2 A.M. AS PATRONS WERE WINDING DOWN THE NIGHT, THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED. A GUNMAN WALKED IN AND WITH AN AUTOMATIC WEAPON FIRED ON THE CROWDED DANCE FLOOR. THAT IS HOW THE NIGHTMARE BEGAN EIGHT YEARS AGO. WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE HAS BEEN A ROLLER COASTER FOR SURVIVORS, VICTIMS FAMILIES AND THIS COMMUNITY. FROM AN OVERWHELMING OUTPOURING OF LOVE AND SUPPORT IN THE BEGINNING TO NOW, WE ARE EIGHT YEARS FROM THAT AWFUL NIGHT FOR MANY FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS, LIFE AFTER PULSE FINDS THEM STILL IN THE DEPTHS OF GRIEF, WITH FEW ANSWERS TO SOME STAGGERING QUESTIONS. WE HAVE NO PERMANENT MEMORIAL TO THE VICTIMS, AND WE HAVE NO ORGANIZATION WORKING TO CREATE ONE. LAST YEAR, MARKED BLOW AFTER BLOW IN THE ULTIMATE DISMANTLING OF THE ONE PULSE FOUNDATION, WHAT BEGAN WITH A SIMPLE MISSION TO HONOR THE LIVES TAKEN AND AFFECTED BY PULSE ENDED WITH A BROKEN ORGANIZATION AND PROMISED TO OUR COMMUNITY DOCUMENTS AND INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER EMPLOYEES SHOW THE FAULT FOR THE END OF ONE PULSE LIES AT THE FEET OF MANY. THE ONE ONE PULSE FOUNDATION SAYS IT IS SCALING BACK PLANS FOR THE MEMORIAL TO THE 49 VICTIMS OF THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB ATTACK APPEAR TO BE ON HOLD TONIGHT. TONIGHT, THE ONE PULSE FOUNDATION SAYS IT WILL NOT GO ON. WE KNOW HOW IT ENDED IN DECEMBER OF 2023. THE ONE PULSE FOUNDATION CLOSED ITS DOORS AFTER YEARS OF FUNDRAISING. NO MEMORIAL, NO MUSEUM AND LITTLE MONEY. BUT HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN? THIS COMMUNITY DRIVEN EFFORT IS INTENDED TO ULTIMATELY SUPPORT THE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF A PERMANENT MEMORIAL COMMUNITY GRANTS TO CARE FOR THE SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS FAMILIES, ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS FOR EACH OF THE 49 ANGELS, AND EVENTUALLY A MUSEUM AT THE HELM. PULSE NIGHTCLUB OWNER AND ONE PULSE FOUNDER BARBARA POMA, A NONPROFIT NOVICE. IN 2017, PROMISED TO DELIVER ON ALL OF THOSE GOALS AND TO SURROUND HERSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO COULD GET THE JOB DONE. BUT QUICKLY AND QUIETLY, GOALS CHANGED. FIRST, THAT PROMISE TO HELP THOSE MOST IMPACTED BY THE TRAGEDY. BY 2019, IT WAS GONE FROM THE MISSION STATEMENT. I ASKED PALMA ABOUT THIS IN 2021. IN THE INITIAL INCEPTION OF ONE PULSE, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SO MANY SERVICES IN PLACE AND SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE DOING THAT WORK THAT WHEN WE WERE FIGURING OUT WHAT TO DO HERE, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE SHOULDN’T DUPLICATE EFFORTS. ONE PULSE IS MISSION CHANGE WAS THE FIRST OF MANY CRITICAL DECISIONS THAT CREATED A LACK OF TRUST AMONG SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS FAMILIES. NICOLE PARKER WAS JUST 23 YEARS OLD WHEN SHE JOINED ONE PULSE. I WAS THE LIAISON BETWEEN VICTIMS, FAMILY SURVIVORS, FIRST RESPONDERS AND THE FOUNDATION, SO AS THE PROJECT GREW AND AS THINGS CHANGED, PEOPLE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND ONE IN PARTICULAR WAS ASKED OVER AND OVER. CAN YOU HELP ME? SOMETIMES THE FOUNDATION WOULD HELP. PEOPLE WOULD PAY OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET TO HELP PEOPLE. REALLY? YES. AND I THINK THEY JUST DIDN’T WANT TO OUTWARDLY SAY THAT JUST BECAUSE IT’S LIKE, OH, THEN EVERYBODY’S GOING TO ASSUME WE DO THIS AND WE SAY THAT WE DON’T. IT JUST CREATES THIS CONFUSION IN DECISIONS. AT ONE, PULSE WERE NOT MADE IN A VACUUM. THERE WAS A BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHICH THROUGH THE YEARS WAS MADE UP OF 27 PEOPLE, CORPORATE EXECUTIVES, COMMUNITY POWER BROKERS, EVEN A POP STAR, BUT NOTICEABLY MISSING SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS. FAMILY MEMBERS NANCY ROSADO IS AN ADVOCATE AND MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST WHO HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH MANY IMPACTED BY PULSE. IF YOU STOP AND YOU THINK FOR ONE SECOND ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO MADE UP THOSE COMMITTEES OR THE INNER CIRCLE OF ONE PULSE, THESE ARE THE ELITE. JUNE 12TH WAS LATIN NIGHT AT THE CLUB. THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THERE WERE HISPANIC. ROSADO BELIEVES LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL BARRIERS PLAYED A ROLE IN THE EXCLUSION. THEY DROPPED THE BALL, FRANKLY, AND I’VE SAID IT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING BECAUSE IT WAS US. SO WHO WAS MAKING DECISIONS AT ONE PULSE? YES, BARBARA POMA WAS THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. BUT AGAIN, HER BOSSES WERE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. EARL CRITTENDON, AN ATTORNEY WITH THE GRAY ROBINSON LAW FIRM, BOARD CHAIR GEORGE KALEB, FORMER PRESIDENT OF WALT DISNEY WORLD BOARD VICE CHAIR PATRICK O’DONNELL, AN EXECUTIVE WITH DELOITTE BOARD TREASURER KELLY LAFERMAN, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER OF FIND SOME AND WIN MOORE MARKETING GROUP BOARD SECRETARY, AND THEN THERE WERE THE PEOPLE RUNNING THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. CLAUDIA MASON, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER SCOTT JACKSON, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER SCOTT BOWMAN, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICER LEAH SHEPHERD I WAS THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT ONE PULSE FOUNDATION. I SAT DOWN WITH SHEPHERD LAST YEAR AND SHE TOLD US THE FOUNDATION WAS ADVISED BY OTHER CITIES WHO HAD GONE THROUGH THE SAME MEMORIAL PROCESS TO INCLUDE SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS FAMILIES ON THE BOARD. BUT ONE PULSE DID NOT. I THINK YOU AND I WOULD NOT BE SITTING HERE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW IF IF A MOM OF ONE OF THE VICTIMS AND ONE OF THE SURVIVORS WHO WAS STILL ENDURING SOME SORT OF MEDICAL CARE, WERE ON THAT BOARD, BECAUSE I HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT BARBARA WOULD HAVE SAT ACROSS A TABLE IN A BOARD MEETING WITH THOSE FOLKS IN THE ROOM AND LOOKED THEM IN THE EYES AND SAID, CAN YOU GIVE ME $2 MILLION FOR THE PROPERTY? WHICH BRINGS UP ANOTHER PIVOTAL PROBLEM CONTRIBUTING TO THE FOUNDATION’S DEMISE A FAILURE TO CLEARLY, PUBLICLY LAY OUT FROM THE START THE OWNERSHIP TRANSFER OF THE NIGHTCLUB PROPERTY. IN 2016, BARBARA AND HER HUSBAND, ROSARIO POMA, DECLINED TO SELL THE SITE TO THE CITY OF ORLANDO AFTER SOME CITY COMMISSIONERS RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE MORE THAN $2 MILLION PURCHASE PRICE. MY ROLE IS TO ENSURE THAT PULSE BECOME A PLACE OF HEALING. POMA WENT ON TO FORM THE FOUNDATION WITH A MEMORIAL ON THE NIGHTCLUB PROPERTY AS ITS CORE FOR BEING WITH ALL THE TALK ABOUT DESIGN PLANS AND FUNDRAISING, THE CRITICAL DETAIL OF PROPERTY OWNERSHIP SEEMINGLY GOT LOST UNTIL IT BECAME A HEADLINE LAST YEAR. THAT’S WHEN THE PALOMAS AND THE FOUNDATION WENT PUBLIC WITH WHAT HAD BEEN YEARS OF INTERNAL CONVERSATIONS. SO WHAT? AND WHEN DID BOARD MEMBERS KNOW ABOUT THE PROPERTY OWNERS EXPECTATIONS TO BE PAID FOR THE NIGHTCLUB SITE EMPLOYEES TO THE ANSWER DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK. DID THE FOUNDATION EVER PROMISE HER AT ANY TIME THAT SHE WOULD BE PAID FOR THAT PROPERTY? NOT WHILE I WAS THERE. NO. NO, THERE WERE THERE WERE NEVER ANY WHILE I WAS THERE. NO WRITTEN AGREEMENTS. NICOLE PARKER, THE FAMILY LIAISON UNTIL 2021. IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE BOUGHT FROM BARBARA. THAT IS WHAT I HEARD. AND PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT THIS SOMETIMES. SO WHEN I HEAR CONVERSATIONS AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW THAT THAT CONVERSATION WAS BEING HAD ABOUT BEING BOUGHT FROM THE POMA’S, THAT’S INACCURATE. NICOLE SAYS SHE ULTIMATELY LEFT BECAUSE OF THE BALLOONING PRICE TAG OF THE PROJECT, WHICH IS ANOTHER KEY DETAIL IN THE FOUNDATION’S DEMISE. SOMEHOW I CAUGHT WIND THAT THE PROJECT WAS 80 OR 100 MILLION. THAT THAT WAS IT FOR ME. THAT WAS IT. I COULD NOT CONTINUE TO WORK FOR A PROJECT THAT WAS GOING TO BE THAT MUCH MONEY, WHEN EVEN JUST LIKE A PORTION OF THAT, WE COULD HAVE HELPED SO MANY PEOPLE. WHEN I CAME TO THE REALIZATION THAT I WASN’T BUYING WHAT I WAS SELLING, I HAD A MORAL OBLIGATION TO MYSELF, AND I FELT THAT I HAD TO LEAVE. AND THAT WAS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME. ENTER JOSE DIAZ ROMAN NICOLE’S REPLACEMENT REPRESENTS ONE PULSE TO FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS WHO ALSO STARE DOWN THE SAME QUESTIONS. NOW, FIVE YEARS SINCE THE TRAGEDY, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE, HOUSING ASSISTANCE, ALL KIND OF THAT WAS FROM MOSTLY FROM THE SURVIVORS SIDE. AND THEN FROM THE FAMILIES SIDE. IT WAS LIKE WHEN IS THE MEMORIAL COMING? WHAT ABOUT IT? LIKE WHERE ARE THE FUNDS GOING? LIKE, ARE THEY BUILDING THE MEMORIAL? SO WE ASKED SHEPARD, WHO AT ONE POINT LED FUNDRAISING, ABOUT THAT. YOU HAVE TO HAVE DONORS WILLING TO DONATE TO THAT. AND I, AS MUCH AS THIS MAY BE HARD FOR SURVIVORS TO HEAR, WHO ARE THOSE DONORS WHO ARE PEOPLE NOW, SEVEN YEARS LATER, WHO ARE GOING TO DONATE TO A FUND TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR SURVIVORS? I CAN TELL YOU I NEVER MET A DONOR. THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF MY FOUR AND A HALF YEARS OF FUNDRAISING FOR THAT ORGANIZATION THAT EVER SAID TO ME, WHAT ABOUT THE SURVIVORS AND THE VICTIMS FAMILIES? CAN I HELP THEM? WHAT THEY WERE WILLING TO GIVE TO, ACCORDING TO THE FOUNDATION, WAS WAS. THE GRAND MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL, WITH A $100 MILLION PRICE TAG EXCEPT NO ONE WAS TALKING PUBLICLY ABOUT THAT NINE FIGURE NUMBER FOR SEVEN YEARS. ONE PULSE FUND RAISED FOR A MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM. SCHOLARSHIPS AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS POURING OVER THEIR ANNUAL TAX RETURNS AND AUDITS THROUGH 2022. WE FOUND IN ITS LIFETIME, ONE PULSE RAISED JUST OVER $21 MILLION. SO HERE’S WHERE THOSE REPORTS SHOW THE MONEY WENT. THE LARGEST CATEGORY WAS PROGRAMING, WITH MORE THAN HALF OF FUNDS RAISED $11.5 MILLION SPENT ON THIS WIDE RANGING CATEGORY, INCLUDING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH. NEXT IS SALARIES $4.3 MILLION, ROUGHLY 20% OF ALL FUNDS RAISED OVER THE COURSE OF ITS LIFE. AS MANY AS 13 PEOPLE WERE ON THE PAYROLL AT ONE PULSE, AT ONE TIME, 10% OF MONEYS RAISED $2.1 MILLION WENT TO THE 49 LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. THESE DOLLARS WERE CONSIDERED RESTRICTED AND NOT TO BE USED IN ANY OTHER WAY. SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS BEGAN IN 2020, AND IN ITS LIFETIME TERM ONE PULSE GRANTED $1.1 MILLION TO MORE THAN 190 APPLICANTS. WHEN THE FOUNDATION DISSOLVED, IT TURNED OVER ITS REMAINING SCHOLARSHIP DOLLARS TO THE CENTRAL FLORIDA FOUNDATION TO ADMINISTER WESH 2, AND TRIED TO CONFIRM THE AMOUNT OF MONEY RECEIVED, BUT THE CENTRAL FLORIDA FOUNDATION REFUSED TO ANSWER, CITING THE CONFIDENTIALITY CLAUSE OF ITS DONOR BILL OF RIGHTS. A SPOKESPERSON DID TELL US IT WAS NOWHERE NEAR $1 MILLION. FINALLY, THE MONEY’S DEDICATED TO BUILDING THE MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM. IN ITS SEVEN YEARS, THE FOUNDATION RAISED LESS THAN $1.5 MILLION FOR THIS PART OF ITS MISSION, A FIGURE WESH 2 REPORTED IN 2023. NOT INCLUDED IN ALL THESE FINANCIALS IS A STATE GRANT OR THE $10 MILLION ORANGE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX MONEY. THAT MONEY PURCHASED THE PROPERTY, WHICH WAS TO BE THE HOME OF THE ONE PULSE MUSEUM. THAT DEAL WITH THE COUNTY, SET A DEADLINE. THE MUSEUM HAD TO BE UP AND RUNNING BY SEPTEMBER OF 2026, WITH THE CLOCK TICKING, THE PRESSURE WAS ON. WE WERE LOOKING AT $100 MILLION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN GOAL AND I DIDN’T HAVE THE RESOURCES. I MEAN, IT WAS ME AND TWO OTHER FUNDRAISERS, AND IT IS MATHEMATICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THREE PEOPLE TO RAISE $100 MILLION. SHEPHERD SAYS SHE CHOSE TO LEAVE THE FOUNDATION IN 2021, BUT MULTIPLE SOURCES TELL WESH 2 THE FOUNDATION WAS ABOUT TO LET HER GO. STILL, THERE WAS NO PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT THE FOUNDATION WAS STRUGGLING TO FUNDRAISE FOR THE PROJECTS, BUT INTERNALLY, THERE DEFINITELY WERE PEOPLE WHO SAID, LET’S SCALE THIS BACK, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY JUST HAD THEIR PLAN AND THEY WERE GOING TO GO WITH IT. THEY WEREN’T WILLING TO BUDGE. NO. AND I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE IT’S EASIER SAID THAN DONE. MAYBE I THINK THEY HAD OTHER PEOPLE TO ANSWER TO, LIKE THE BOARD FOUNDATIONS ARE GOVERNED BY A BOARD OF DIRECTORS OR TRUSTEES. THEY ARE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY OF AN ORGANIZATION. KHERSON SO WHAT DID THE ONE PULSE BOARD KNOW ABOUT FOUNDATION OPERATIONS THROUGH THE YEARS? WE DON’T KNOW. NONE WOULD GO ON THE RECORD WITH US. WE DO KNOW THE FULL BOARD WAS SEEMINGLY LEFT OUT OF A MAJOR DECISION, REMOVING BARBARA POMA AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN 2021. WESH TWO OBTAINED THE RESIGNATION LETTER OF BOARD MEMBER JASON FELTS. IN IT, HE NOTED, QUOTE, I MUST ADMIT IT WAS VERY SHOCKING TO ME THE SUDDEN SHIFT IN HER ROLE WITHOUT ADVANCED DISCUSSION IN THE SPRING OF 2022, DEBORAH BOWIE TOOK OVER AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. WHEN I’M NEW TO AN ORGANIZATION, I TRY TO LISTEN. THERE’S A LOT HERE THAT JUST NEEDED TO BE THAT NEEDED ATTENTION, SOURCES TELL WESH TWO. BOWIE QUICKLY STARTED QUESTIONING FOUNDATION OPERATIONS, SO MUCH SO THAT AFTER MONTHS OF BAD PRESS AND DEVASTATING SETBACKS, ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2023, BOWIE WROTE A FOUR PAGE MEMO TO THE BOARD OBTAINED BY WESH 2. IT BEGINS THIS WILL BE A DIFFICULT BUT NECESSARY CONVERSATION. THE MEMO GOES ON. IN NOVEMBER OF 2022, I LEARNED OF SEVERAL CONCERNING OPERATION ISSUES AT OPRF THAT HIGHLIGHTED MANAGERIAL FAILINGS IN THE DAILY OPERATIONS OF THE FOUNDATION. LATER, IT STATES CALLS WITH DONORS, SPONSORS, SUPPORTERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, STAKEHOLDERS AND PROSPECTS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS HAVE BEEN MET WITH DISMAY OVER THE LACK OF A MEMORIAL FOR THE SLAIN 49 AND THE SURVIVOR OF THE PULSE ATTACK. IT ENDS. THIS HAS NO DOUBT BEEN AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND SOBERING YEAR. I ALSO BELIEVE WE ARE AT AN INFLECTION POINT IN THE TRAJECTORY OF WHAT OPFS LEGACY WILL BE TO THE GREATER ORLANDO COMMUNITY JUST THREE MONTHS LATER, THE FOUNDATION DISSOLVED. 27 PEOPLE SAT ON THE BOARD OVER THE COURSE OF ITS SEVEN YEARS, NOT ONE OF THEM WOULD SIT DOWN WITH US AND ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS DIRECTLY. QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT, THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY OF IT, AND HOW TO MAKE GOOD ON THE PROMISES MADE TO OUR COMMUNITY. IN THE END, IT WAS THE TWO CHARGED WITH FACING THE FAMILY WHO FACED A CAMERA WITH A MESSAGE FOR THEM A LOS PADRES PERDIERON UN HIJO NAIJA CON EL MOVIMIENTO NECESITAN UN ABRAZO DE UN HIJO AND ME SIEMPRE LO VAN A ENCONTRAR SIN IMPORTAR CUANTO TIEMPO PASA? I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU GUYS AND I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU. I JUST WANT TO SAY TO FAMILY SPECIFICALLY THAT EVEN THOUGH THE PROJECT DIDN’T HAPPEN, MANY OF US THAT WERE WERE THERE, OUR HEARTS WERE IN IT. I JUST APOLOGIZE THAT THIS WASN’T ABLE TO HAPPEN FOR THEM. UM, AND I JUST WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THERE WERE MANY OF US ON STAFF WHO WERE VERY GENUINE AND REALLY JUST WANTED TO HELP. MANY HAVE CALLED FOR AN AUDIT OF ONE PULSE’S FINANCES. IT SEEMS THERE COULD BE TWO PATHS FORWARD FOR THAT AS PART OF A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OR A LIMITED SCOPE REQUEST FROM THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE TIED TO A STATE GRANT. OPRF RECEIVED, SOURCES TELL WESH 2 NEITHER IS HAPPENING THAT THIS IS NOT ON THE RADAR OF ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHLEY MOODY OR STATE ATTORNEY ANDREW BEIGNE, SO THERE WAS A REFRIGERATOR IN FRONT OF THE DOOR, UH, BLOCKING THAT DOOR. DID YOU TRY TO MOVE IT THERE? THE QUESTION SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS FAMILIES SAY NO ONE WILL ANSWER. WESH 2 O INVESTIGATES ACCUSATIONS OF PROBLEMS AT PULSE BEFORE THE SHOOTING STARTED. WHEN CHRONICLE RETURNS. IT’S BEEN EIGHT YEARS SINCE THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB ATTACK, AND WE ARE BACK TO SQUARE ONE WITH A MEMORIAL. IT’S NOT THE ONLY THING LEFT UNDONE FOR VICTIMS FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS. THEY WANT ANSWERS ABOUT CONDITIONS AT PULSE LEADING UP TO AND ON JUNE 12TH, 2016. THAT’S BECAUSE FOR YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN ACCUSATIONS THAT CONDITIONS AT PULSE DELAYED FIRST RESPONDERS FROM MAKING RESCUES AND EVEN KEPT VICTIMS FROM FINDING A SAFE PATH OUT OF THE CLUB. MANY IMPACTED BY PULSE. TELL US, UNTIL THEY GET SOME CLEAR ANSWERS, THEY WON’T SUPPORT ANYTHING HAPPENING HERE. IT’S WHY I’VE SPENT THE LAST THREE YEARS DIGGING INTO THE CLAIMS COATS ARE THERE FOR A REASON. THE REASON CODES ARE THERE FOR SAFETY. YES, UNPERMITTED RENOVATIONS, BLOCKED EXITS. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE ACCUSATIONS THAT HAVE SURROUNDED THE CONDITIONS AT PULSE ON JUNE 12TH, 2016. FOR YEARS, RUMORS THAT LEAVE MANY SURVIVORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS OF VICTIMS TO WONDER HAD THINGS BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY BEFORE, FOR THEY DON’T THINK THERE’S ANY DOORS BACK AND DURING THE ATTACK WOULD MORE OF THEIR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES HAVE SURVIVED THE MASS SHOOTING? WESH TWO INVESTIGATES HAS SPENT YEARS EXAMINING DOCUMENTS, PICTURES AND VIDEO, SOME YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE, TO TRY TO GET SOME ANSWERS. THE FIRST CLAIM, A LACK OF UPDATED FLOOR PLANS, SLOWED DOWN RESCUE EFFORTS. THAT’S WHEN I WAS RUNNING THROUGH THE BUILDING. I WAS LOOKING FOR A FIRE PLAN. ESCAPE PLAN, WHICH I COULDN’T FIND, AND I’D LIKE TO GIVE US A LAYOUT. THAT’S ORLANDO POLICE OFFICER TIMOTHY STANLEY AND HIS INTERVIEW FOR THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, OBTAINED BY WESH TWO, IN A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST THE NIGHT OF THE MASSACRE. AS OFFICERS RESPONDED, THEY COULDN’T FIND FLOOR PLANS FOR PULSE. I’M HAVING EXPLAINED THE ROOMS. UH, WHAT’S WHERE IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING. HOW HOW IT’S LAID OUT. I HAD A, UM, JUST A A WET PIECE OF PAPER BECAUSE I WAS SWEATING, TRYING TO DO ALL JUST LAY OUT PEOPLE, TRYING TO GET TO THAT DOOR. I’M TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT NOW WITH THE MANAGER. OFFICER STANLEY WAS LEFT TO DRAW A FLOOR PLAN AS A PULSE EMPLOYEE DESCRIBED THE INSIDE OF THE CLUB. SO FIRST RESPONSE COULD FIGURE OUT WHERE VICTIMS WERE HIDING. MANY OF THEM DYING. THIS LACK OF FLOOR PLANS IS SOMETHING SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS FAMILIES INSIST CREATED CHAOS AND WASTED VALUABLE TIME. THE MORNING OF JUNE. 12TH, UNABLE TO HOLD BACK HER TEARS, THE MOTHER OF LUIS OMAR OCASIO-CAPO, EXPLAINS WHAT SURVIVORS TOLD HER ABOUT HER SON’S DEATH. YOU KNOW, SUFRIO EMERGENCY SUFRIO THAT THE SANGRANDO SAY IN A CLUB. CARMEN CAPO TRAVELED TO ORLANDO FROM PUERTO RICO TO TALK TO WESH 2. SHE SAYS AFTER BEING SHOT, HER SON LAID IN THE ARMS OF A STRANGER AT PULSE BLEEDING. JOSE DIAZ. BAEZ WAS THAT STRANGER, JOSE SAYS. THEY WERE IN A KITCHENETTE BEHIND THE MAIN BAR. IT HAD TWO DOORS. THE ONE THEY WENT IN ON, AND THERE WAS ANOTHER DOOR, BUT THAT DOOR WAS BLOCKED. I BY ME GOING BACK, I WOULD SAY IT WAS LIKE A REFRIGERATOR, BUT IT WAS HUGE. LIKE IT WAS BLOCKING. BUT I KNEW BECAUSE I COULD SEE THE OUTSIDE OF IT. SO THERE WAS A REFRIGERATOR IN FRONT OF THE DOOR, UH, BLACK IN THAT DOOR. DID YOU TRY TO MOVE IT? I TRIED, BUT THAT’S WHEN I NOTICED I HAD A SHOT WOUND ON MY RIGHT SHOULDER. BECAUSE WHEN I TRY TO PUSH, I COULDN’T. AND THAT’S WHEN I WAS LIKE, WHY CAN’T I, YOU KNOW, MOVE IT? I’M LIKE, I’M A BIG PERSON. I KNOW I CAN MOVE THIS, BUT I DIDN’T HAVE THE STRENGTH FOR IT. JOSE SAYS. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT FRIDGE WAS A GLASS DOOR LEADING TO THE OUTSIDE PATIO. THIS IS THE ONLY PICTURE OF THAT ROOM RELEASED TO WESH TWO. IT DOES NOT SHOW THE DOOR. JOSE TALKS ABOUT WHEN POLICE DID GET TO THEM ROUGHLY 30 MINUTES AFTER THE SHOOTING STARTED, LUIS WAS ALIVE. YOU MEAN TODO EL TIEMPO? VIVO EN EL MUSEO DEL SAGRADO EN EL HOSPITAL. A HOSPITAL, CARMEN BELIEVES HAD LUIS BEEN ABLE TO GET OUT THAT DOOR OR BEEN RESCUED SOONER, HE MIGHT STILL BE ALIVE. HE HAS A CAR IN THE PARKING LOT. WITH THE BOMBING AROUND 3 A.M., RESCUE EFFORTS CAME TO A HALT BECAUSE THE SHOOTER CLAIMED HE HAD A BOMB. THIS TRAPPED MANY VICTIMS IN THE CLUB, WITH THE GUNMAN FOR HOURS. IT WASN’T UNTIL 5:08 A.M. THAT THE SWAT TEAM USED ITS ARMORED VEHICLE TO BREAK INTO WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS A BATHROOM, WHERE VICTIMS INCLUDING TIARA PARKER AND HER COUSIN AKIRA MARIE, WERE TRAPPED AND HIDING. BUT WITHOUT ACCURATE FLOOR PLANS, SWAT BREACHED THE WRONG SPOT. AFTER A SECOND SWAT ATTEMPT, OFFICER GOT THE COUSINS OUT OF THE CLUB. IT WAS TOO LATE FOR AKIRA. I WAS REALLY ANGRY. UM, BECAUSE AT THE TIME MY COUSIN WAS ONLY SHOT IN HER ARMS. NOT BEING ABLE TO GET IN THERE IN TIME REALLY TOOK A LOT OF LIVES OF WONDERFUL PEOPLE THROUGH RECORDS REQUESTS. WESH TWO INVESTIGATES LEARNED THE CITY ALSO COULDN’T FIND FLOOR PLANS. IT TOOK UNTIL NOON, TEN HOURS AFTER THE SHOOTING BEGAN FOR FIRE MARSHAL TAMMY HUGHES TO SEND A PICTURE OF FLOOR PLANS FROM 2004 TO THEN FIRE CHIEF RODERICK WILLIAMS. THAT AFTERNOON, TIMOTHY JOHNSON, MANAGER FOR THE CITY PERMITTING DIVISION, EMAILED HIS COLLEAGUES THE MOST RECENT FLOOR PLANS THE CITY HAD DATED 2010, IN AN INTERNAL EMAIL, HE STATES THEY WERE THE LAST FLOOR PLANS RECEIVED FROM PULSE’S OWNERS. HOWEVER, WESH TWO INVESTIGATES HAS NOW DETERMINED THOSE PLANS WERE NOT AN ACCURATE REFLECTION OF THE LAYOUT. IN 2016. THERE’S AN OFFICE UP THERE UPSTAIRS. YES, WE’RE AT RIGHT THROUGH THAT DOOR. SEE? RIGHT THERE. BODY, BODY. POLICE ARE YOUR HANDS. PLEASE SHOW US YOUR HEAD. HAD HAD HAD HAD HAD HAD. KEEP THEM UP. COME DOWN THE LADDER. THAT SECOND FLOOR. OFFICER TYLER OLSON TALKS ABOUT IN HIS BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE ISN’T INDICATED ANYWHERE ON THE FLOOR. PLANS RELEASED TO WESH TWO. BUT YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THE OFFICE EXISTS IN PICTURES TAKEN BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AFTER THE SHOOTING. WE ASKED PULSE’S OWNERS ABOUT THE LACK OF UPDATED FLOOR PLANS ON RECORD WITH THE CITY, BUT BECAUSE OF ONGOING LITIGATION BY VICTIMS FAMILIES, THEY WERE UNABLE TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS. WHEN WE ASKED THE CITY ABOUT THE FLOOR PLANS, CASSANDRA BELL, A CITY SPOKESPERSON, WROTE, WHEN BUILDING OWNERS MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THEIR LAYOUTS OR FLOOR PLANS, THEY SHOULD GO THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS WITH THE CITY AND ANY RECORDS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE WOULD BE WHAT WE WOULD HAVE ON FILE. THE NEXT CLAIM. THE CITY LET PULSE LIED ON SOME CODE ISSUES. THIS IS A TIMELINE OF EVERY PERMITTING CODE ENFORCEMENT PLANNING FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY ACTION TAKEN AT 1912 SOUTH ORANGE AVENUE SINCE 1998. IT WAS PREPARED BY THE CITY IN 2016, ONE WEEK AFTER THE ATTACK. QUOTE IN ANTICIPATION OF IMMINENT CIVIL OR CRIMINAL LITIGATION, AND NEVER BEFORE RELEASED TO THE MEDIA UNTIL WESH 2 INVESTIGATES TRACKED IT DOWN. THIS DOCUMENT AND OTHERS OBTAINED BY WESH TWO SHOW BEGINNING IN 2004, QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE CITY TO PULSE’S OWNERS, NAMELY ROSARIO POMA, THE FIRST SURROUNDS THE CLUB’S PERMIT TO BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS, CALLED A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT. PULSE WAS APPROVED AS A RESTAURANT. MARTINI BAR, BUT THE CITY FLAGGED IT WAS INSTEAD OPERATING AS A NIGHTCLUB. IN AN EMAIL DATED MAY 2004, CITY PLANNING DIRECTOR DEAN GRANDIN WRITES TO ROSARIO PALMA AND SAYS THE PLANNING OFFICE MAY HAVE TO REVISIT THE PERMIT OR AS AN ALTERNATIVE, HE TELLS PALMA TO INITIATE A NEW APPLICATION FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR A NIGHTCLUB USE, WHICH WOULD STAND ALONE, SEPARATE AND APART FROM YOUR EXISTING APPROVED CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT. THE ISSUE COMES UP AGAIN IN 2010, WHEN ORLANDO CHIEF PLANNER JASON BURTON CREATES A LIST OF ISSUES AT PULSE, INCLUDING THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT. BURTON WRITES IN AN EMAIL TO PLANNING DIRECTOR GRANDIN, WHO FLAGGED THIS ISSUE IN 2004. THAT PULSE, OPERATING AS A NIGHTCLUB AND A NEW CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IS NEEDED. THESE ITEMS ARE THEN TALKED ABOUT FOR MONTHS AMONG CITY STAFF, INCLUDING MEETINGS WITH ROSARIO PALMA WHERE OPTIONS OF NEXT STEPS ARE PRESENTED. IT’S UNCLEAR IF ANY OF THOSE WERE TAKEN ON AND AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING, PULSE STILL HAD THE SAME CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT. WE ASKED THE CITY WHY PULSE NEVER HAD TO UPDATE ITS PERMIT. CASSANDRA BELL, AGAIN VIA EMAIL, SAID AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, AND DURING THESE DISCUSSIONS, WE DID NOT HAVE A CLASSIFICATION FOR NIGHTCLUBS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE CITY CHARACTERIZED BUSINESSES SUCH AS PULSE AS EATING AND DRINKING ESTABLISHMENTS, SO WHY DID CITY OFFICIALS IN CHARGE OF CODE AND ORDINANCES KEEP INSISTING A CHANGE WAS NECESSARY? BELL ACKNOWLEDGED THAT RECORDS DO SHOW THERE WERE INCONSISTENCIES WITH THE CUP APP. HOWEVER, IT’S IMPORTANT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THESE INCONSISTENCIES WERE NOT RELATED TO LIFE SAFETY ISSUES. THE TIMELINE DOCUMENT ALSO DELVES INTO OVERCROWD, ADDING WITH THE PUMAS ORDERED TO USE A CLICKER AT THE DOOR TO MEET FIRE CODE. WHILE SURVIVORS HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE CLUB FEELING PACKED THE NIGHT OF THE SHOOTING, WE HAVE NO WAY TO PROVE IT WAS OVER. THE 300 PERSON CAPACITY. THE TIMELINE DOCUMENT ALSO NOTES UNPERMITTED FENCES. THE POMA SPOKESPERSON INSISTS THEY FILED FOR A PERMIT FOR THE FENCE, BUT NEITHER THEY OR THE CITY CAN PRODUCE IT. ACCORDING TO THE CITY, EVEN IF WORK WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT A PERMIT, THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT WORK WAS DONE IMPROPERLY OR THAT IT CREATED A SAFETY ISSUE. WE ASKED TO SPEAK WITH CITY EMPLOYEES WHO FOR YEARS HAD THESE BACK AND FORTH DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PUMAS. WE FIGURED THEY COULD EXPLAIN WHY ISSUES THAT APPEAR TO LINGER AT PULSE FOR YEARS DON’T HAVE A RESOLUTION. EVERY INTERVIEW REQUEST WAS DENIED. AND THE REASON CASSANDRA BELL WRITES, THE PLANNERS WHO ENGAGED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS IS 13 TO 19 YEARS AGO, ARE NO LONGER WITH THE CITY, SO I AM UNABLE TO SPEAK WITH THEM OR ON THEIR BEHALF. BUT WESH TWO HAS VERIFIED AT LEAST THREE EMPLOYEES HEAVILY INVOLVED IN PULSE’S. PERMITTING BETWEEN 2004 AND 2010 DO STILL WORK FOR THE CITY. AND WHEN I ASKED TO SPEAK WITH THEM DIRECTLY, I WAS DENIED. WHEN WESH 2 ASKED WHY THE TIMELINE DOCUMENT WAS CREATED BY THE CITY, WE WERE TOLD TO REVIEW AND INVESTIGATE FIRE INSPECTION, CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND PERMITTING RECORDS RELATED TO THE BUILDING. THESE RECORDS DEMONSTRATE THE PULSE FACILITY WAS SAFE, THAT IT MET OCCUPANT SEE FIRE AND RELATED REQUIREMENTS. WE FOUND NO PATTERN OF CRITICAL LIFE SAFETY VIOLATIONS. LIFE SAFETY VIOLATIONS ARE WHAT GET BUSINESSES SHUT DOWN. AND THE CITY SAYS PULSE DIDN’T HAVE ANY. BUT SURVIVORS STILL ACCUSE THE CITY. AT THE VERY LEAST OF NEGLIGENCE, AND SOME ACCUSE THE CITY OF LYING, WHICH BRINGS US TO THEIR THIRD CLAIM BLOCKED EXITS CREATED ESCAPE ROUTE CONFUSION IN 12 HOURS AFTER THE WORST MASS SHOOTING IN U.S. HISTORY, THESE TEXTS BETWEEN ORLANDO’S FIRE MARSHAL TAMMY HUGHES AND ORLANDO FIRE CHIEF RODERICK WILLIAMS QUOTE, CODE ENFORCEMENT IS HERE. SHOWED ME A PICTURE WHERE THE CLUB OWNER HAD BLOCKED THE EXIT WITH A COKE MACHINE. HE HAS PICTURES. THAT IS AN EXCERPT FROM A STORY WESH 2 DID IN 2016. JUST TWO WEEKS AFTER THE SHOOTING. THOSE TEXT MESSAGES ALSO SAY WHEN THEY ASK FOR OUR RECORDS, TJ WILL HAVE TO ANSWER SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS. WHY HE DID NOT FOLLOW NFPA CODES AND ALLOW FOR THIS PERSON TO VIOLATE THEM. IT’S IN OUR REPORT. THESE TEXT MESSAGES ABOUT A BLOCKED EXIT HAVE FOR YEARS FUELED DEBATE ABOUT ESCAPE ROUTES OUT OF THE CLUB. AFTER THOSE TEXTS BECAME PUBLIC IN 2016, AN ATTORNEY FOR THE PUMAS TOLD US THERE IS A DOOR TO THE OUTSIDE THAT IS NOT USED BY ANYONE, WHETHER THEY BE EMPLOYEES OR PATRONS. THAT DOOR IS IN A ROOM BEHIND THE BAR WHERE PATRONS ARE NOT ALLOWED. THAT DOOR IS NOT AN EXIT DOOR, AND WE REPORTED IT BECAUSE BASED ON THE FLOOR PLANS PROVIDED TO US, THEN THE AREA IN QUESTION LOOKS LIKE A STORAGE CLOSET. BUT CRIME SCENE PHOTOS SHOW THAT DOOR DOESN’T EXIST, SO WITH THE REVELATION THE FLOOR PLAN WAS WRONG, WE GOT TO WORK PIECING TOGETHER WHAT THE SCENE LOOKED LIKE THAT NIGHT. THIS SERVICE ALLEY BEHIND PULSE DOES DOES EXIST. IT’S VISIBLE IN VIDEO FROM 2016 AND IT’S STILL AT THE PROPERTY TODAY. WE ASKED THE CITY ABOUT THIS ALLEY AND THE BLOCKED EXITS IN THE 2016 TEXT MESSAGES IN EMAIL EXCHANGES. BACK THEN, AND THIS YEAR, WE GOT THE SAME WORD FOR WORD RESPONSE FROM THE CITY. QUOTE. WE HAVE NO INDICATION THAT EXITS WERE BLOCKED. AFD CONDUCTS REGULAR EXIT CHECKS TO ENSURE BUSINESSES HAVE THE PROPER LIFE SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE. AFTER A REVIEW OF FIRE RECORDS, THERE IS NO PATTERN OF EXITS BEING BLOCKED INSIDE PULSE. THIS INCLUDES THE MOST RECENT EXIT CHECK THIS YEAR. THEY ADDED TO THE RESPONSE QUOTE FURTHER, WE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY DOCUMENTATION THAT DEMONSTRATES THE COKE MACHINE WAS BLOCKING AN EXIT BEFORE THE INCIDENT. WHAT THE CITY DIDN’T ADDRESS WAS ANOTHER QUESTION WE ASKED ABOUT SPECIFIC BODY CAMERA VIDEO SHOWS THAT COKE MACHINE AT THE END OF THE SERVICE ALLEY. THIS VIDEO WAS NOT RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC. WESH 2, WHO OBTAINED IT THROUGH A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST. IT SHOWS DEPUTY FRANK TAYLOR TRYING TO GET INTO THAT SERVICE ALLEY, BUT RIGHT THERE YOU CAN SEE A COKE BRANDED REFRIGERATOR FOR YEARS REFERRED TO AS A COKE MACHINE BLOCKING WHAT FLOOR PLANS SHOW AS AN OPEN WALKWAY. OFFICER STANLEY ALSO MENTIONED IT IN HIS F.D.L.E INTERVIEW. THERE WAS A COKE MACHINE OR SOMETHING THERE THAT WE HAD TO PULL IT AWAY TO BE READY FOR A TEAM, GO IN WHAT YOU CAN ALSO SEE IN THE BODY CAMERA VIDEO IS A PIECE OF BROKEN FENCING ON THE GROUND, AND YOU CAN SEE IT FROM CHOPPER TWO THE FOLLOWING DAY. IS IT FENCING THAT POSSIBLY ENCLOSED THE SERVICE ALLEY? IS IT A GATE? WESH WHO HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIND ANYONE WHO CAN TELL US IF THIS ALLEY WAS OPEN, CLOSED IN BY FENCING OR HAD A GATED DOOR AND THOSE TEXT MESSAGES ABOUT AN EXIT BLOCKED BY A COKE MACHINE. IT’S NEVER BEEN REVEALED WHICH EXIT ORLANDO FIRE OFFICIALS WERE TALKING ABOUT AS FOR THE ALLEY, SEVERAL SURVIVORS HAVE TALKED ABOUT GETTING TRAPPED THERE. IN 2016, WESH TWO SPOKE WITH ONE OF THE SECURITY GUARDS WORKING AT PULSE THAT NIGHT. HE DETAILED FOR US HOW THE FENCED ALLEY HAD A DOOR, WHICH HE OPENED AND HELPED PEOPLE ESCAPE THROUGH. I BRING THEM OUT THE BACK, WHICH IS A ONLY FOR EMPLOYEES. YEAH, I BRING THEM OUT THE BACK WHEN YOU GO OUT THE BACK THERE, THERE’S A GATE IN THE BACK HERE. NOW, WE DON’T KEEP THAT DOOR LOCKED. WE DON’T KEEP IT LOCKED. IT’S NEVER LOCKED. THERE’S A LOCK THERE. THERE’S A LATCH. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PUSH IT IN. THE DOOR OPENS. SO ALL I DID WAS POP. POP IT OPEN. EVERYONE FOLLOWS ME. THAT FENCE DOOR IS VISIBLE HERE ON CHOPPER TWO. VIDEO TAKEN MIDDAY AFTER THE SHOOTING LAST JULY. SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS FAMILIES WHO HAVE SPOKEN TO WESH TWO OVER THE YEARS MADE A NEW PLEA FOR THEIR CONCERNS TO BE HEARD. THEY FILED REPORTS WITH ORLANDO POLICE HOPING TO HAVE THEIR CLAIMS OF BLOCKED EXITS INVESTIGATED, ACCORDING TO THE CITY BUILDING CODE, PULSE NEEDED TWO EXITS TO BE IN COMPLIANCE SINCE THERE ARE AT LEAST SIX DOORS LEADING OUT OF PULSE. TWO DOORS LED TO THE SERVICE ALLEY BEHIND THE CLUB, THE MAIN ENTRANCE AND A SET OF DOUBLE DOORS NOT FAR AWAY LED TO THE PARKING LOT AND TWO DOORS TO THE FENCED IN PATIO, FBI PHOTOS SHOW. ON THE PATIO THERE WAS A GATE TO THE STREET. IT HAD LATCHES ON THE INSIDE AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM BETWEEN THE LOBBY AND MAIN ENTRANCE. THERE WERE BEADED CURTAINS, WHICH SURVIVOR TONY MARRERO SAYS MADE IT HARD TO SEE THE WAY OUT. WE WERE TRYING TO REACH THE DOOR, BUT THERE WERE SOME CURTAINS THERE, LIKE BEADED CURTAINS OR WHATEVER, AND THEY WERE LIKE, YEAH, SO THEY’RE HEAVY. SO EVERYBODY GOT CONFUSED AND YOU CAN’T SEE WHAT’S COMING IN. SO AS YOU SEE EVERYBODY RUNNING, CONFUSION, CHAOS. THAT’S WHY I ENDED UP IN THE VIP. SO I ENDED UP BACK INSIDE THE CLUB. MARRERO WAS SHOT 15 TIMES IN THE ARM AND BACK BEFORE HE WAS FINALLY ABLE TO CRAWL OUT. I LITERALLY CRAWLED, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN GLASS AND OTHER, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THE FLOOR THAT I DIDN’T KNOW IF THEY WERE ALIVE OR DEAD. I WAS JUST LIKE, GRABBING ONTO THEM AND LIKE, DRAGGING MYSELF BECAUSE MY ARM WAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED. SO I YELLED AT THE COP AT THE DOOR, PLEASE, PLEASE COME SAVE ME. AND ALL. HE TOLD ME THIS WORDS I WILL REMEMBER FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I CAN’T GO TO YOU RIGHT NOW. WE CHECKED WITH THE ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR AN UPDATE ON THIS CASE. ALL THEY WOULD TELL US IS THIS IS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION. SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS FAMILIES SAY ALL OF THIS PAINTS A TROUBLING PICTURE OF THE CITY OF ORLANDO’S ACTIONS. IT’S WHY SO MANY ARE STRUGGLING AS THE CITY NOW TAKES CHARGE OF PULSE’S FUTURE. WESH 2 CHRONICLE WILL BE RIGHT BACK. THE CITY OF ORLANDO NOW OWNS PULSE. MAYOR BUDDY DYER, AND COMMISSIONERS ACKNOWLEDGE THEY DIDN’T WANT TO BUY IT, BUT FELT IT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE A PERMANENT MEMORIAL TO THE 49 WOULD BE BUILT HERE. THAT MEANS STARTING OVER WITH PLANNING AND FUNDRAISING, BUT ALSO BUILDING SUPPORT, BEGINNING WITH FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS. AND IT’S BEEN A ROCKY START. THE ROAD TO REBUILDING TRUST WITH SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS FAMILIES BEGAN HERE. I KNOW ONE THING. WE’RE GOING TO BUY THE PROPERTY AND WE’RE GOING TO HAVE CONTROL OF THE PROPERTY. A NEWS CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER, WHEN THE CITY’S PLANS WERE REVEALED, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO INDICATE SO BY SAYING I, I. THE FOLLOWING WEEK, A UNANIMOUS VOTE FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS. THEN IN DECEMBER, ANOTHER NEWS CONFERENCE DEFINING THE CITY’S GOALS. WE DO IT IN A TRANSPARENT WAY THAT GETS AS MUCH INPUT FROM AS MANY STAKEHOLDERS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. BUT ONE THING WAS NOTICED ABSENT A TRANSLATOR FOR MANY OF THE VERY STAKEHOLDERS, THE MAYOR WAS SPEAKING ABOUT, SOME LATINOS I MET DISCRIMINATED WESH 2 SPOKE TO FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS WHO SAID IT’S CRITICAL THE CITY BREAK DOWN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE BARRIERS, SOMETHING THEY TOLD US. THE ONE PULSE FOUNDATION STRUGGLED TO DO. ANYTHING THAT WILL HAPPEN WITH PULSE. THE FEW OF US WHO SPOKE ENGLISH WOULD TRANSLATE, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T UNDERSTAND. BUT WHY DO WE HAVE TO TRANSLATE ALL THIS INFORMATION SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THEM ALSO, IN THEIR MAIN LANGUAGE BY THE NEXT NEWS CONFERENCE IN APRIL, A TRANSLATOR WAS ADDED. I PHOENIX EL ANO PASADO EL MUNICIPIO COMPRA EL TERRENO DE PAUL’S, AND IN BOTH LANGUAGES A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT. THE INTRODUCTION OF DOCTOR LARRY SCHOOLER, A FACILITY DOCTOR WHO HAS BEEN PART OF OTHER MASS SHOOTING MEMORIAL EFFORTS. WHEN I SPOKE WITH DOCTOR SCHOOLER, HE ACKNOWLEDGED FINDING ORLANDO’S EFFORTS IN CHAOS. I THINK WE’RE DUE FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY CONVERSATION IN THIS COMMUNITY OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. THE FIRST PART OF HIS WORK HERE, A SERIES OF IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL MEETINGS TO GATHER INPUT ON WHAT FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS WANT TO SEE AT THE PULSE SITE. I THINK I’VE HEARD DEEP PAIN, I’VE HEARD ANGER, I’VE HEARD IMPATIENCE. IN TOTAL, 449 PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO RECEIVE PULSE UPDATES FROM THE CITY, 67 EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THOSE FOCUS GROUP SESSIONS WITH DOCTOR, SCHOOLER. A TOTAL OF 45 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED. I WANT TO HAVE SOME KIND OF CLOSURE FOR JOLIE CINTRON AND NANCY ROSADO ARE COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS WHO’VE WORKED WITH FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS FROM DAY ONE. THEY ATTENDED ONE OF THE MEETINGS AND WERE NOT SURPRISED THAT THE TURNOUT WASN’T HIGHER. YOU CAN’T EXPECT PEOPLE TO JUST HAPPILY SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I WANT A WATER FOUNTAIN HERE AND I WANT BENCHES. I WANT ACCOUNTABILITY. SO, SO DOES OLGA DISLA. TIENE MUCHAS HERIDAS ABIERTAS Y LA CIUDAD DB DE RESPONDER DEBE DE SER SIMPATICO A LAS PREGUNTAS Y EL SENTIMENT DE LA FAMILIA. OLGA MET US MINUTES AFTER SHE LEFT HER MEETING WITH DOCTOR SCHOOLER WEARING A PHOTO OF ANTHONY, THE SON SHE LOST AT PULSE MEMORIAL. TUKYA COMO LO QUIERO Y VAMOS A CONSTRUIR LO PERO ESO YO NO HABLA DE ESO OLGA IN MULTIPLE FAMILY MEMBERS AND SURVIVORS TOLD US THEY DON’T WANT ANY MOVEMENT ON A MEMORIAL UNTIL ALL OF THEIR DOUBTS AND QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED. ELISA REYES SHOT NINE TIMES AND WE WANT JUSTICE BECAUSE WE WANT TO FIND. WE WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH. MARISSA DELGADO SHOT 12 TIMES. WHAT DOES JUSTICE LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? JUST PEOPLE KNOWING OUR STORIES. PEOPLE LISTENING. AND NEXT TIME. BUSINESS IS DOING BETTER. MAKING SURE THAT WE. WE ARE PROTECTED. PARA PODER HACER UN MEMORIAL ESTRUCTURA. ENTONCES LA ESTRUCTURA ES UN EVIDENCIA TODO PUEDE DESTRUIR EVIDENCIA. HOW DO WE POTENTIALLY TEAR DOWN THIS BUILDING AND BUILD A MEMORIAL WHEN THERE ARE STILL MOTHERS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT? WELL, THAT QUESTION IS THE VERY THING THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO ANSWER. DOCTOR SCHOOLER SAYS THE CREATION OF THE PULSE MEMORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS THE NEXT PHASE OF HIS PLAN. 10 TO 15 PEOPLE SELECTED THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS, WITH THREE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR. THIS IS THE APPLICATION IT CALLS FOR EVERYONE FROM THOSE MOST DIRECTLY TOUCHED BY THE TRAGEDY TO IMPACT BUSINESS OWNERS, HEALTH CARE WORKERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, EVEN THOSE WITH EXPERIENCE IN DESIGN, ENGINEERING AND LANDSCAPING. THEY’LL MEET MONTHLY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR EVERY CONVERSATION OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN PERSON AND ONLINE, AND THERE WILL BE MULTIPLE CHANCES TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK. IT DOESN’T MATTER IF THEY LIVE IN ORLANDO, IT DOESN’T MATTER IF THEY SPEAK ENGLISH OR SPANISH. IT DOESN’T MATTER IF THEY CAN BE THERE RIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. WE’RE GOING TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE. ALL FOR THEIR SENTIMENTS TO BE HEARD. IT’S IMPORTANT TO MAKE CLEAR TO THESE FAMILIES THAT WHAT YOU’RE SAYING IS THAT THE COMMITTEE PROCESS THAT STARTS NOW WILL INCLUDE CONVERSATION ABOUT THEIR DOUBTS, THEIR QUESTIONS, AND HOW DO WE RESOLVE THOSE BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD. THAT’S RIGHT. AND I REALLY WANT PEOPLE WITH THOSE CONCERNS AND DOUBTS TO TO THINK ABOUT APPLYING. YOU KNOW, I WANT THEM TO TO CONSIDER BEING PART OF THE PROCESS IN THAT INTIMATE OF A WAY WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO ALL FOR ALL OF US TO COME TOGETHER AND THAT IS WHERE WE CAN FIND OUR PEACE. LISTEN, DIEGO. LEON LOST HER COUSIN LUIS DANIEL AT PULSE. SHE WAS PART OF A GROUP OF FAMILIES WHO WROTE TO THE CITY LAST YEAR, URGING LEADERS TO TAKE OVER THE PROPERTY. NOW SHE HOPES TO BE PART OF THE COMMITTEE WITH EVERY STEP, KEEPING A PROMISE SHE MADE EIGHT YEARS AGO. IT’S A PROMISE THAT I MADE ON THAT DAY THAT I WOULD NEVER, EVER LET LOSE. OR, AS WE CALL HIM, DANNY, EVER BE JUST A NAME. I WANTED HIS MEMORY TO BE ALIVE. IT’S MORE. AND AS WELL AS ALL OF THE OTHER VICTIMS, A SENTIMENT SHARED BY MOST OF THE FAMILIES. BUT AFTER EIGHT YEARS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS RAISED AND LOST, OLGA IS SKEPTICAL AND SAYS HER SON’S MEMORIAL LIES WITH HER MEMORIAL. TIENE DOS TIENE UNO SU LA VIDA MUY HERMOSA. QUÉ TIENEN EL CEMENTERIO Y LA MEJOR CORAZON POR SIEMPRE. THE MAIN GOAL OF A MEMORIAL SHOULD BE HEALING, LEARNING FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES. ALSO, HEALING FROM MASS SHOOTINGS. WE TRAVEL TO LAS VEGAS TO LEARN HOW A MEMORIAL TO THE LIVES LOST THERE AFTER PULSE IS COMING TOGETHER SO SMOOTHLY. A LOT OF THINGS HAVE GONE WRONG IN THE PROCESS TO BUILD A PULSE MEMORIAL, AND WITHOUT A DOUBT, THIS HAS BEEN DEVASTATING FOR SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS. FAMILY MEMBERS. BUT MAYBE WE’RE AT A PLACE OF OPPORTUNITY OR A FRESH START. A CHANCE TO LEARN LESSONS FROM OTHERS GOING THROUGH THE SAME PAINFUL PROCESS. LAS VEGAS IS ONE OF THOSE PLACES I RECENTLY SPENT TIME THERE LEARNING HOW THAT COMMUNITY, NOW HOME TO THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST MASS SHOOTING, CAN HELP. HELP ORLANDO MOVE FORWARD. OUR OVERARCHING GOAL WAS TO LEAD A PROCESS THAT WOULD FOSTER HEALING IN OUR COMMUNITY. 16 MONTHS AFTER THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2017, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. A GUNMAN FIRED MORE THAN A THOUSAND ROUNDS FROM HIS 32ND FLOOR SUITE IN THE MANDALAY BAY HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS ONTO THE CROWD BELOW ATTENDING THE ROUTE 91 HARVEST FESTIVAL ON THE STRIP. PUTTING THAT COMMUNITY ON THE SAME PATH AS ORLANDO. TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO HONOR THEIR VICTIMS. THE TRAUMA ULTIMATELY IS A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. THERE’S NO WAY TO REMOVE THAT MARK. SO WHAT WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL OUT OF IT? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HEAL THIS COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT THERE IS POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH? DANIEL PEREIRA IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE RESILIENCY AND JUSTICE CENTER IN LAS VEGAS AND PART OF THE 1ST OCTOBER MEMORIAL COMMITTEE. SHE WALKED ME THROUGH HOW LAS VEGAS GOT HERE. WE DEVELOPED A NAME FOR THE MEMORIAL CALLED THE FOREVER ONE MEMORIAL, A MEMORIAL DESIGN PLANNED IN THREE YEARS WITH OVERWHELMING COMMUNITY BACKING. IT’S THIS IDEA OF INFINITE MEMORY AND ETERNAL LOVE FOR THOSE THAT WERE LOST WHEN VIEWED FROM ABOVE. THE MEMORIAL IS AN INFINITY SYMBOL. 58 CANDLES REPRESENT EACH VICTIM FROM A GLASS TOWER. SYMBOLIZES HOPE, ASPIRATION, TRANSCENDENCE. THESE STORIES WILL BE ETCHED INTO WALLS WITH WORDS REPRESENTING THOSE LOST WIFE, HUSBAND, DAUGHTER, SON. THERE’S SO MANY ASPECTS TO THIS. LIKE EVERY DETAIL IN THIS DESIGN WAS A THOUGHTFUL AND HAD A PURPOSE. SO THAT’S BEAUTIFUL. WE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT ORLANDO CAN LEARN FROM LAS VEGAS PROCESS. FIRST, THEY TOOK THEIR TIME. UM, THE 1ST OCTOBER COMMITTEE DIDN’T FORM UNTIL 2020. COUNTY LEADERS HELPED LEAD AND PACE THAT PROCESS. SECOND, THE COMMITTEE EACH PERSON WAS PURPOSEFULLY CHOSEN A FIRST RESPONDER, AN ARCHITECT, A PUBLIC ARTS ADMINISTRATOR, AN ARTIST, A SURVIVOR, AND A VICTIM’S FAMILY MEMBER. ORLANDO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED IT WOULD DO THE SAME. IT WAS HARD. THERE WERE TIMES THAT I WAS UP THERE CRYING. MANY TIMES MAYBE, UM, IT WAS REALLY HARD, BUT IT WAS VERY REWARDING TO KNOW THAT I WAS SITTING UP THERE TO FIGHT FOR 58 TO BE REMEMBERED. THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. NISHA TONKS WAS MINDY SMITH’S OLDER SISTER 46 YEARS OLD. SHE WAS SHOT AND KILLED AT THE FESTIVAL. SHE WORKED HARD TO BECOME WHO SHE WAS, WHICH WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSWOMAN HERE IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY. SHE GAVE ALL, ALL SHE GAVE ALL TO HER JOB. SHE GAVE ALL TO HER BOYS, TO HER FRIENDS. NISHA WAS A SINGLE MOTHER TO THREE SONS. AS I LOOK AT MY NEPHEWS EVERY DAY WHO LOST THEIR ROCK, FOR ME TO BE THERE AND TO MAKE SURE I WAS FIGHTING FOR THEM, IT MADE IT ALL WORTH IT FOR ME TO BEING PART OF THE MEMORIAL PROCESS WAS HEALING. IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A BALANCE. WE ALL HAD TO KIND OF LEARN TO RESPECT EACH OTHER IN OUR ROLES. AND I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT WAS VERY BALANCED AND I’M JUST GRATEFUL FOR BEING A PART OF THAT. THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE VOLUNTEERS. THEY MET ONCE A MONTH FOR FIVE HOURS IN PERSON. SINCE THE VICTIMS WERE FROM ALL OVER NORTH AMERICA, THE MEETINGS WERE AVAILABLE ONLINE. THEY SURVEYED SURVIVORS, VICTIMS FAMILIES, FIRST RESPONDERS. IT’S HOW THEY DECIDED TO BUILD THE MEMORIAL AT THE SHOOTING SITE, TWO ACRES OF THE PROPERTY WAS DONATED BY MGM AND THEY CONSULTED OTHER COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY MASS SHOOTINGS. WE GATHERED INPUT ON YOU KNOW, HOW THEY DECIDED WHAT THEY WOULD DO, HOW THEY, YOU KNOW, WORK TO INCORPORATE THE VOICES OF THOSE THAT WERE IMPACTED. WHAT HAVE BEEN THE REACTIONS? HOW DID YOU PAY FOR IT? YEAH, VERY WIDE BREADTH OF RESEARCH AROUND THE COUNTRY. SOME EXPERTS EVEN RECOMMEND DID NOT FUND RAISING UNTIL THEY PICKED A DESIGN. WE WERE ALSO TOLD, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT DONATE LIKE THOSE INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS, THEY WANT TO KNOW THAT THEIR MONEY IS IN LIKE THE BRICK AND MORTAR, LIKE A PIECE OF THAT BRICK AND MORTAR WAS, IS, IS THERE BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY GAVE. BUT ALWAYS IN THE PROCESS, SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS FAMILY MEMBERS. THIS SEEMS LIKE IT WAS DEEPLY PERSONAL. IT WAS FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE AND FOR THE IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY THAT WAS AFFECTED BY THIS. YES, YES. AND IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT. UM, THE FIDELITY, THE INTEGRITY OF THE PROCESS. WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT THAT RIGHT. WE WANTED THIS TO BE HEALING. AND IF WE DIDN’T GET IT RIGHT, WE KNEW THAT IT WOULDN’T BE HEALING. FOR SOME, THE 1ST OCTOBER COMMITTEE’S JOB IS DONE. A NEW COMMITTEE IS NOW TASKED WITH FUNDRAISING TO BRING ALL OF THIS PLANNING TO LIFE. I’M VERY HAPPY THAT THIS PLACE IS GOING TO BE A PLACE OF HEALING AND LOVE AND COMFORT. YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE WILL BE TEARS AND PAIN. I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR MY PARENTS, THEY DON’T HAVE A DESIRE TO COME. IT’S TOO PAINFUL. MAYBE THAT WILL CHANGE ONE DAY. BUT FOR ME, I THINK THAT IT’S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT COULD CHANGE LIVES. AND I REALLY HOPE THAT HAPPENS TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL STRUGGLING. WESH TO CHRONICLE WILL BE RIGHT BACK. WHEN YOU VISIT PULSE, YOU CAN’T HELP BUT NOTICE THE TRAFFIC ALONG ORANGE AVENUE. THE CARS AND PEOPLE PASSING BY, MOVING ON WHILE THIS PLACE, SURROUNDED BY MAKESHIFT WALLS AND COVERINGS, SITS ALMOST JUST AS IT DID EIGHT YEARS AGO. IT’S THE TALE OF TWO ORLANDO’S, ONE, WHERE MOST PEOPLE HAVE MOVED ON. THEY’VE STOPPED LOOKING AND REMEMBERING, AND THE ONE WHERE SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS FAMILIES LIVE STUCK IN A LOOP OF TRAUMA, GRIEF AND DOUBTS. IF THERE IS ANY CHANCE OF US BEING ONE ORLANDO AGAIN, A FEW THINGS WILL NEED TO HAPPEN. FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS TELL US THEY NEED LINGERING QUESTIONS ANSWERED, NOT THROUGH THE MEDIA, BUT FACE TO FACE WITH CITY LEADERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. SOME EVEN NEED THE OPPORTUNITY TO WALK INSIDE THE PULSE. THEY SAW PARKLAND FAMILIES DO IT AND WANT THAT SAME CHANCE TO MAKE PEACE WITH THIS PLACE. IT IS THE ONLY WAY THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN WHAT EVERYONE ULTIMATE WANTS TO HONOR. THE 49 HERE FINALLY.