Probe is closed into owners of Pulse nightclub, where 49 died in mass shooting
The Orlando Police Department has closed its investigation into the former owners of the Pulse nightclub without filing any charges.
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Police Department has closed its investigation into the former owners of the Pulse nightclub without filing any charges. Victims’ families and survivors of the killing of 49 patrons at the LGBTQ-friendly club had asked law enforcement to investigate them for possible criminal culpability.
No charges will be filed against former owners Barbara and Rosario Poma because probable cause didn’t exist for involuntary manslaughter by culpable negligence, the Orlando police said this week in an emailed statement.
About two dozen people, mostly survivors and family members of those who died in the 2016 shooting, gave statements to investigators. They said that building plans weren’t available to first responders during the three hours hostages were held in the club and that unpermitted renovations and building modifications had occurred. They also maintained that the club was likely above capacity, that it had operated for years in violation of its conditional use permit, and that there were security and risk-management failures.
A makeshift memorial outside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on July 11, 2016. John Raoux / AP file Despite efforts to reach the the Pomas, investigators weren’t able to interview them. Sara Brady, a spokesperson for the Pomas, said Wednesday that they aren’t issuing a statement.
Investigators concluded that the lack of building plans didn’t hamper rescuers, that it was impossible to identify how many people were in the club that night, that the city of Orlando never took any action against Pulse when the nightclub changed its interior, and that there were too many unknowns about how gunman Omar Mateen entered.
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