Pulse nightclub will reopen to honor the Orlando shooting victims, NBC News reports. The club’s owner, Barbara Pomo, revealed her decision during a new interview with the network on Thursday, June 16.
“We just have to move forward and find a way to keep their hearts beating and keep their spirit alive, and we’re not going to let them take this away from us,” Pomo told Today cohost Matt Lauer. “I will not let hate win. We will heal together. It’s not to just honor my brother anymore. It is to honor all the families affected. It is to honor the true spirit of Orlando. Pulse will always continue to be the heartbeat of Orlando.”
Pomo opened the popular hot spot in 2004 after the death of her late brother, who was gay and died from complications of AIDS. She chose the name because “it has to do with your heartbeat, it has to do with your life,” she explained. “We just wanted to keep the heartbeat alive.”
As previously reported, 29-year-old gunman Omar Mateen killed 49 people and injured 53 others on Sunday. He reportedly called 911 ahead of time to pledge his allegiance to ISIS and was killed at the scene. According to NBC, his wife, Noor Zahi Salman, may be charged for driving Mateen to Pulse to scope it out and for not warning police about her suspicions.
Supporters worldwide have been paying their respects since the tragedy. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden visited privately with the victims’ families in Orlando on Thursday.
“We pray for their families, who are grasping for answers with broken hearts. We stand for the people of Orlando, who have endured a terrible attack on their city,” Obama, 54, said during a press conference on Sunday. “As Americans, we are united in grief, in outrage and in resolve to defend our people.”
