Former Pulse nightclub owners cleared of involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with 2016 mass shooting
The former owners of the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, have been cleared of involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the tragic mass shooting that took place in June 2016. According to a new report by the Orlando Police Department, Barbara and Rosario Poma, the previous owners of Pulse, have been cleared of any potential criminal liability.
The investigation into the Pomas began over a year ago, with allegations of code violations and unpermitted renovations that some claimed may have contributed to the high death toll during the shooting. However, police found that the actions taken by the Pomas were not done with reckless disregard for human life and that they could not have anticipated a terrorist attack at the nightclub.
The FBI had previously stated that the gunman, Omar Mateen, carried out the mass shooting in support of ISIS, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others before being killed by SWAT team members after a three-hour standoff.
While the police have closed the case against the Pomas, some survivors of the shooting are voicing their disagreement with the investigation’s results. Orlando Torres, a Pulse survivor, expressed his frustration, stating, “People trying to escape couldn’t escape — not all, but many of those. Even if it was just one that was hindered, it’s still murder by a human being, period.”
Despite the differing opinions on the matter, the investigation has concluded that the former owners of Pulse are not criminally liable for the tragic events that took place in 2016.
