The former owners of the Pulse nightclub have been acquitted of manslaughter charges in connection with the June 2016 mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, according to a new report from the Orlando Police Department.
Fox 35 reported that police began investigating possible criminal charges against Barbara and Rosario Poma, the former owners of Pulse, more than a year ago.
The investigation also questioned 23 people who had urged police to charge the Pomas with manslaughter, alleging building code violations and unapproved renovations that some believe may have contributed to the high death toll, the newspaper reported.
The allegations included that police did not have access to construction plans during the three-hour hostage situation, that unauthorized renovations were being carried out on the nightclub, that Pulse had a history of occupancy violations, that the nightclub was operating under a license that was for a restaurant and bar rather than a club, and that there were security deficiencies.
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Barbara Poma (right), owner of Pulse nightclub, and her husband Rosario Poma hold a press conference at Pulse nightclub on Monday, December 5, 2016. (Getty Images)
However, police found during their investigation that it is not standard procedure for officers to have immediate access to floor plans of private businesses, bars and clubs, and that the lack of availability did not limit the police response to the shooting. Police also found that an officer who had been working off-duty at Pulse provided an accurate floor plan at the time.
The investigation confirmed that unauthorized renovations were being carried out on the interior and exterior of the nightclub, but the report found that the nightclub was in compliance with occupancy regulations during 82% of unannounced inspections conducted by the Orlando Fire Department between 2005 and 2016.
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Pulse nightclub owner Barbara Poma tends to the memorial outside her club on Saturday, June 10, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. (Getty Images)
The FBI had previously stated that the gunman who carried out the rampage, Omar Mateen, supported ISIS. He killed 49 people and injured 53 others on June 12, 2016. Mateen was killed after a three-hour standoff with members of a SWAT team.
Orlando police concluded that the Pomas did not act with reckless disregard for human life and that they could not have foreseen a terrorist attack at the nightclub. Police said Mateen acted alone and that the Pulse owners were absolved of any criminal responsibility.
According to the report, police have closed the Pomas case.
The Pulse nightclub, the site of the 2016 mass murder that killed 49 patrons south of downtown Orlando, Florida, photographed on October 18, 2023. (Getty Images)
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However, some survivors express disagreement with the results of the investigation.
“The people who were trying to escape were unable to escape – not all of them, but many of them,” Orlando Torres, a survivor of the Pulse crash who played dead in the bathroom until emergency responders arrived, told Fox 35. “Even if just one person was disabled, it's still human homicide, period. Someone has to be held accountable! Everything has to be done by the book so everyone can escape safely and properly. It's as simple as that.”
