The owner of Orlando's Pulse gay nightclub, the scene of the weekend's mass shooting which saw 49 people shot dead and 53 hospitalised has spoken publicly for the first time since the tragedy. Barbara Poma Barbara Poma has spoken of being "devastated and heartbroken" and of grief. She said Pulse is a place of love for the glbtiq community and was started in memory of her brother who died due to AIDS in 1991. She expressed her condolences and sadness for those who lost their lives, to those in hospital and to their families. The response of the city of Orlando has been "amazing" she said, paying tribute to the emergency services, police and the surgeons and medical teams who are still fighting to keep some victims alive. She also paid tribute to the nightclub's patrons and staff including those from years gone by. "They are my family," she said. She says she will re-build Pulse to be the"glbti heartbeat" of Orlando. "This terrible act of hate will not stop Pulse," she concluded. You can view video of her brief speech here.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 15th June 2016 - 5:09pm