ORLANDO, Fla. — Survivors and families of victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub mass shooting will get the opportunity to visit the building this summer. Orlando City officials say it’s part of the healing process, but one survivor wants to make sure the building is structurally safe to enter.
“We already know it’s going to be a challenge. We already know it’s going to be tough.” said Darelis Torres, who was there the night of June 12, 2016, when a gunman killed 49 people and wounded 53 others.
Families and survivors feel the private visit is important for their mental health and continued healing. Torres agrees but knows it will be challenging.
“As much as I want to go there to heal, I also fear a little bit for the safety of families and survivors when it comes to the building’s structure integrity,” she said, specifying concerns about the floors, ceiling and walls.
That’s why she says she wants city officials to provide an inspection report or some kind of paperwork showing that the building is safe to be in. She said she wanted “some sort of transparency that they actually care to let us go into the building and not add to the weight of what we lost there that night.”
The city sent a statement saying, “We don’t have any indication that the building is unsafe to enter. Planning is still in its early phases and the city continues to consult with other communities who have experienced tragedies.”
Darelis also acknowledged the city’s statement that the visit is in line with other survivors visits to mass casualty locations, saying “At this point, it’s like some sort of big stunt, like we’re doing this because other places have done it.”
But she wants answers after her friend Jonathan was killed during their visit. That’s why she says it’s important to go inside.
“My physical health will be at risk there, but it’s something I have to do in order to be able to push through mentally,” she said.
The city says the visit is planned for the week of June 9. Officials say they will provide more details to survivors and victims families as they become available.
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