Orlando has leveled the building that was the site of one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history. Nearly a decade after a gunman killed 49 people and wounded dozens more at Pulse, an orange crane on Wednesday tore into the former gay nightclub's dark stone walls as police cruisers lined the street, NBC News reports. The city, which bought the property for $2 million in 2023, plans to open a permanent $12 million memorial next year, reports the AP.
The June 2016 attack was carried out by 29-year-old Omar Mateen, who used a handgun and a Sig Sauer MCX rifle legally purchased days earlier. During a three-hour standoff, authorities say, Mateen called 911, pledged loyalty to the leader of ISIS, and referenced the group's anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. He was killed in a shootout with law enforcement. The FBI had previously investigated him in 2013 and 2014 over alleged extremist statements and concerns he might be a potential suicide bomber, but those cases were closed.
The teardown comes as LGBTQ rights—and especially protections for transgender Americans—remain a political flashpoint, NBC reports. Last month, the Trump administration removed the pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument in New York City, though it was quickly replaced by city politicians. Last year, Florida's Department of Transportation painted over a rainbow crosswalk near the Pulse nightclub that served as a memorial to the victims. Police were stationed at the site after protesters repeatedly used chalk to replace the rainbow colors.
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