Former Pulse nightclub owners won’t face manslaughter charges, Orlando police say

Orlando Police Department has cleared former Pulse nightclub owners from voluntary manslaughter charges, punctuating a yearlong investigation related to the 2016 mass shooting.

The investigation, launched in June 2023, began after survivors and family members filed complaints against owners Barbara and Rosario Poma for conditions of the nightclub on the night of the tragedy. Twenty-three interviewed individuals alleged that code violations and other renovations at Pulse affected police efforts to save more lives.

Allegations against the nightclub included:

1. First responders had no updated building plans during the three-hour long active shooter hostage situation.
2. Unpermitted renovations and building modifications of Pulse were unchecked and unregulated by the city.
3. The nightclub had a history of occupancy violations, and the club was likely over capacity the night of the shooting.
4. Pulse operated under a permit for a restaurant and martini bar, not a nightclub.
5. Other failures in risk management and security.

According to a concluding report released by Orlando Police Department, the city did not have accurate building plans for the club, but this did not hinder police efforts in responding to the shooting. An OPD detective, Adam Gruler, had worked off duty at Pulse and was familiar with the layout. At least 90 people were rescued by law enforcement, the report says.

The report does, however, acknowledge some of the allegations made against the Pomas but ultimately did not support criminal charges.

The report notes that the nightclub had unpermitted renovations that the city never required Pulse owners to retroactively obtain permits for.

It also says the exact number of occupants at Pulse on the night of the shooting cannot be determined, but that the club was compliant during 82 percent of unannounced occupancy checks between 2005 and 2016.

“None of the actions by the Poma’s with reference to the unpermitted changes to their floor plans, or their alleged inattention towards their doors and exits were done with a reckless disregard of human life or with an utter disregard for the safety of others,” the report reads. “The Poma’s could not have reasonably foreseen or anticipated a terrorist incident taking place at Pulse.”

According to the report, OPD did not interview the Pomas at the conclusion of the investigation.

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