Tag Archives: Orlando

The Orlando Sentinel reports: An emotional, rain-soaked rally on the eve of the Pulse anniversary Monday evening was mixed with anguish and raw anger over the lack of progress on gun reform and gay rights in Florida and the sheer number of mass shootings that have happened since. “Six hundred and twelve days,” said Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: The onePULSE Foundation is unveiling the Orlando nightclub’s “interim” memorial today, designed to be a temporary tribute to the victims and survivors of the 2016 mass shooting. During a dedication ceremony this morning, Pulse nightclub owner and onePULSE Foundation founder Barbara Poma thanked local companies that contributed to the project. She also praised the survivors and …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Noor Salman is not guilty of helping her husband, Omar Mateen, carry out the mass shooting that claimed 49 lives at Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016, a jury decided Friday. The 12-member jury delivered its verdict after deliberating for about 12 hours over three days. Salman was also acquitted of obstruction of justice. Prosecutors accused …

CNN reports: Attorneys for Noor Salman called for a dismissal of charges or a mistrial, saying that new details from prosecutors reveal that Pulse gunman Omar Mateen’s father was an FBI informant who is currently under a criminal investigation. According to a motion filed by the defense, Assistant US Attorney Sara Sweeney sent an email on Saturday to the defense …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Survivors of the mass shootings at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub and a South Florida high school embraced Wednesday outside the club where 49 people were killed nearly two years ago. “We’re all family,” said Neema Bahrami, who was an event manager at Pulse at the time of the attack. Pulse survivors, wearing shirts that read “We Will …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Orlando police said they will have an increased presence for Tuesday night’s Jackson Browne concert at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts after a possible threat. Police in West Lafayette, Ind., began investigating Sunday after a banner was left at a Unitarian Universalist Church that hosted a protest to mark the one-year anniversary of …

USA Today reports: A handwritten statement given to the FBI by the wife of Pulse nightclub gunman Omar Mateen says she saw him prepare for the deadly attack for months and knew that the LGBT nightclub was his target. The 12-page statement, quietly released by federal authorities at the end of December in a batch of records in the case, …

The New York Times reports: President Trump has finally arrived at Walt Disney World. And, yes, he speaks. After a delay that prompted online conspiracy theories, the most common one being that Disney was trying to silence Mr. Trump, Disney World unveiled an audio-animatronic robot in his life-size likeness on Monday as part of its famed Hall of Presidents exhibit. …

USA Today reports: The widow of Pulse nightclub gunman Omar Mateen will stand trial in Orlando, home to the nation’s second deadliest mass shooting in modern history, after a federal judge ruled staying in the city wouldn’t prevent a fair trial. Lawyers for Noor Salman had fought to move the case outside the city, arguing intense media coverage of the …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Attorneys for the wife of Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen wrote in a motion filed on Monday that he was using online dating websites such as Plenty of Fish to cheat on her. Noor Salman’s attorneys said in the motion that Mateen used a mutual friend as a cover story so he could go out with …

The work finished on National Coming Out Day. CBS News reports: A crosswalk to honor the Pulse nightclub victims was completed early Wednesday by the city of Orlando. A petition on change.org for the installation of the sidewalk was signed by more than 2,000 people to pledge their support to honor the men and women who lost their lives at …

Orlando’s ABC affiliate reports: A man who protested outside Pulse nightclub Monday following a ceremony marking the anniversary of the attack was handcuffed by Orlando police. Local officials and the community had just finished a remembrance ceremony at the venue, which honored the victims and first responders. The man, who has not been identified, was part of a group of …

This afternoon on the one year anniversary of the Pulse massacre, Trump issued the above tweet memorializing the victims. One year ago today, however, after first tweeting that he was “praying” for the victims, Trump was full of self-praise an hour later, tweeting, “Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don’t want congrats, I want toughness …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: As he walked up to the Pulse nightclub, memories of last June clouded Ramses Tinoco’s head. He still remembered hearing the gunshots. He remembered running for his life. But the place that has haunted him for a year was different early Monday. Dozens of angels stood guard outside, their wings made of PVC pipes and flowing …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: The Orlando shooting at Pulse Nightclub on June 12 will be memorialized with an “iconic, meaningful, national” memorial and eventually a museum, where Orlando’s millions of visitors will learn about the club, the tragedy and the victims. Leaders of the not-for-profit onePULSE Foundation officially launched the effort to building the memorial Thursday morning. “Today, I’m able …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: As the one-year anniversary of the Pulse terror attack nears, the nightclub’s owner, Barbara Poma, next week will announce details about plans for a permanent memorial at the scene of the nation’s largest mass shooting. “Pulse has always been a part of me, but after this tragedy which took 49 lives, it became a part of …

Orlando’s NBC affiliate reports: The wife of the gunman in the Pulse nightclub massacre has pleaded not guilty to charges of aiding and abetting her husband and obstruction of justice. Noor Salman, wife of Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, made a brief appearance before a judge in the Orlando federal courthouse Wednesday. Salman’s attorney waived the reading of an indictment …

The Associated Press reports: Orlando and Orange County officials want the first anniversary next June of the Pulse nightclub massacre to be marked with acts of love and kindness. Elected officials on Monday said that June 12 officially would be dedicated as “Orlando United Day – A Day of Love and Kindness.” Officials also announced a series of events planned …

Via Mediaite: On Monday morning, CNN’s Jake Tapper tweeted a photo from Walt Disney World in Orlando. The Hall of Presidents show starts with a film presentation before revealing animatronic versions of every president. Speeches are delivered by the representations of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and the then-current President of the United States, Barack Obama. The Obama robot was added …

Orlando’s ABC affiliate reports: A lawsuit filed by the victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre and their families against the gunman’s wife and employer is in jeopardy of being dismissed in federal court. Federal Judge Kenneth A. Marra filed the order questioning if the federal court system had jurisdiction in the case, determining that as presented it did not. The …