Pulse nightclub demolished nearly 10 years after massacre left 49 dead

Pulse nightclub was demolished on Wednesday, nearly ten years after a gunman walked into the Orlando gay club and committed one of the deadliest massacres in U.S. history

Pulse nightclub was demolished on Wednesday, nearly ten years after a gunman walked into the Orlando gay club and committed one of the deadliest massacres in U.S. history.

With at least half a dozen police cars nearby, an orange crane struck the dark gray stone building where 49 people were killed and dozens others wounded, in what amounted to the second most lethal mass shooting in U.S. history.

In its place, the city of Orlando will construct a memorial to commemorate the people killed in the mass shooting after purchasing the site in 2023.

The gunman, Omar Mateen, 29, responsible for the massacre, was killed in a shootout by law enforcement after a three-hour-long siege. Mateen completed the shooting with a handgun and a Sig Sauer MCX, an AR-15-style rifle, weapons that were legally purchased in the week before the attack, according to officials.

Authorities said that during the shooting, the gunman called 911 and pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS, which is known for its intolerance of LGBTQ people. The year before the shooting, the terrorist organization released videos that appeared to show gay men being hurled off buildings and then stoned to death.