Orlando marks 10 years since Pulse nightclub shooting that killed 49
Florida officials ordered flags at half-staff as Orlando marks a decade since the deadliest attack on LGBTQ Americans in U.S. history.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA — State and local officials commemorated the 10th anniversary Friday of the Pulse nightclub shooting, one of the deadliest mass shootings in United States history that claimed 49 lives on June 12, 2016.
Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered flags flown at half-staff at state and local government buildings to honor the victims of the attack, when a gunman who pledged loyalty to ISIS opened fire inside the LGBTQ nightclub during a Latin night event.
DeSantis has issued the flag order each year since taking office, continuing a tradition started by former Gov. Rick Scott in 2017 and 2018.
Lawmakers Reflect on Decade Since Attack
State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who represents the area where the shooting occurred, issued a statement marking the somber anniversary and reflecting on changes in Florida since the tragedy.
“Ten years ago, our community experienced an unimaginable tragedy that took our 49 angels and forever changed Orlando. The Pulse nightclub shooting struck at the heart of Orlando’s LGBTQ and Latino communities, devastating spaces where people gathered to celebrate their freedom, and be with the people they loved,” Smith said.
The Democratic senator said the anniversary comes at a time when LGBTQ community members have concerns about Florida’s political direction.
“In the years since Pulse, Florida has weakened gun safety protections and unleashed a wave of policies that have made many LGBTQ people feel targeted and unwelcome,” Smith wrote. “That reality makes it even more important that we remember the lessons of Pulse. Hate has consequences, gun violence leaves lasting scars, and our responsibility to protect one another never ends.”
Memorial Construction Moving Forward
Despite ongoing challenges, Smith expressed hope about progress on honoring the victims’ memory through a permanent memorial. The original Pulse nightclub building was demolished earlier this year to make way for the memorial project.
“Yet despite these challenges, there is hope. Earlier this year, the Pulse nightclub building was finally demolished to make way for a long-overdue permanent memorial that will honor the 49 angels and ensure their legacy endures for generations to come,” he added.
Congress approved legislation in 2021 to establish a national memorial honoring those killed in the attack. Construction on the memorial is expected to begin this year following the building’s demolition.
Scott Shares Memories
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, who served as Florida’s governor at the time of the shooting, posted a video to social media recalling the tragedy and its impact on the Orlando community and the state.
The shooting targeted patrons at the nightclub during a popular weekly Latin music event, devastating both Orlando’s LGBTQ and Latino communities. The attack remains one of the most violent incidents on U.S. soil and the deadliest attack on LGBTQ Americans in the nation’s history.
