Trending Now - Pulse Nightclub Demolished for Memorial to 2016 Shooting Victims

WHO:

City of Orlando

President Trump

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis

Islamic State group

WHAT:

Demolition of Pulse nightclub began on March 18th, 2026

The site will be cleared for a permanent memorial to the 49 victims of the June 12, 2016, mass shooting

The city purchased the Pulse property for $2 million in 2023

A $12 million permanent memorial is planned to open in 2027

The Pulse attacker killed 49 people and wounded 53 others

WHERE:

Orlando, Florida

Pulse nightclub

WHEN:

Demolition began on March 18th, 2026

The mass shooting occurred on June 12, 2016

The city purchased the property in 2023

The memorial is set to open in 2027

WHY:

The memorial is intended to pay tribute to the victims of the mass shooting

The demolition follows a failed attempt by a foundation run by the club’s former owner to buy the property

HOW:

Construction workers began tearing down walls that were scarred by bullet holes from the shooting

The city is clearing the site for the memorial following the purchase of the property

(UPDATED March 18, 2026 19:27 UTC)

Demolition of the Pulse nightclub in Orlando began today, March 18, 2026, as the city prepares to clear the site for a permanent memorial honoring the 49 victims of the tragic mass shooting that occurred on June 12, 2016. The city purchased the property for $2 million in 2023, and a $12 million memorial is set to open in 2027, following a failed attempt by a foundation run by the club’s former owner to acquire it. Construction workers are now tearing down walls marked by bullet holes, as the community comes together to pay tribute to those lost in this devastating event.