Orlando’s Pulse nightclub briefly will open for private tours to remember the massacre that occurred there ahead of the building’s razing and replacement by a permanent national memorial.
Survivors and family of the 49 people killed and 53 others hurt during the June 12, 2016, attack are scheduled to attend a Wednesday afternoon commemoration and take private tours of the club over the next several days.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer is scheduled to speak during the event.
Nearly 250 attack survivors and family members of those killed will participate in 30-minute private tours of the nightclub, which Orlando officials hope will help deliver closure for many, WFTV reported.
The tours are not open to the general public and will include an FBI agent who will be available to answer questions.
Christine Leinonen is among those who plan to visit the site where her son, Christopher Leinonen, was killed.
“They’re letting us go through it, so, of course, I want to see it. I want to see the inside,” she told WKMG.
“It’s important to go inside because that’s where my son died,” she explained. “My son didn’t die running out of the building or at the hospital. My son literally died on that dance floor.”
Leinonen said she doesn’t know how she will react once she is inside the shuttered nightclub, but she said she is certain the tour won’t give her closure.
“I’m never going to get any closure,” she responded when asked. “There’s never going to be any closure.”
Photography and video recording are not allowed while inside the building to prevent accidental viewings on social media by those who don’t want to see its interior.
Among survivors who won’t attend Wednesday’s remembrance or take a private tour is Brandon Wolf, who said he hid in a bathroom stall when the shooting happened.
“The site of the tragedy is where I feel closest to the people who were stolen from me,” Wolf told PinkNews.
“For survivors, the last time they were in that space was the worst night possible,” he said. “It will be really hard to be in that space again.”
The city bought the property after the attack that began shortly after 2 a.m. EDT on June 12, 2016. The massacre ended when police shot and killed the shooter, Omar Mateen, 29, following a three-hour standoff.
An estimated 320 people were inside the club when the attack occurred, and victims ranged from ages 18 to 50.
A makeshift memorial featuring the photos of attack victims is in place at the nightclub, but it will be replaced with a permanent national memorial. (UPI)
