The city of Orlando announced its plans to buy Pulse nightclub, the LGBT venue that saw 49 people shot dead by a gunman in June, to create a memorial to victims.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States, with dozens also wounded in the attack. The gunman was shot and killed by police.
Original reports said that the club’s owner, Barbara Poma, and her charity OnePulse Foundation were working on the memorial. Speaking to local outlets, Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer confirmed a deal at £1.8million for the site.
Speaking in a video statement posted to Twitter, Dyer said: “It has great significance not just for the LGBTQ community and for the Hispanic community but for all of us that live and love Orlando. I think it is very important that city take control of the site.”
He referred to the massacre as “the most tragic event that has ever occurred” in Orlando's history.
Speaking to the Orlando Sentinel, Dyer said no immediate plans have been decided for the site, as people still mourn there. “There are lots of people that are making a visit to the site part of their trip, part of their experience of Orlando, so I think 12 to 18 months of leaving it as-is would be appropriate,” he said.
With plans to involve the local community as much as possible, Dyer said he plans to “create something to honour the memory of the victims that are deceased, those that were injured, and a testament to the resilience of our community.”
