Demolition underway at Pulse nightclub, site of one of the deadliest U.S. mass shootings

"We're hoping this is for the better, finally. Long overdue. Looking forward to moving on and having peace and tranquility where we can pray inside. I thought I was going to drown. I couldn't breathe, he said, recalling how he struggled for air while pinned in place during the attack."

"He described the fear that the gunman would execute those hiding on the floor, the concussive blasts that echoed through the building, and the moment law enforcement breached the wall. Water poured over him as pipes ruptured, and officers ultimately pulled him through a hole in the wall to safety."

"For nearly a decade, the Pulse building has stood as both crime scene and shrine, a physical site where grief settled into ritual after what was then the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Visitors left flowers, photographs, and handwritten notes along its perimeter, transforming the nightclub into a place of pilgrimage."

Demolition crews began tearing down the Pulse nightclub in Orlando on Wednesday, with survivor Orlando Torres livestreaming the event. Torres, who survived the 2016 mass shooting that killed 49 people, narrated the demolition while recounting his traumatic experience trapped in a bathroom during the attack. He described the fear, the gunman's threats, the concussive blasts, and the moment law enforcement breached the wall to rescue him. Torres expressed hope that the demolition represents progress toward healing and peace. For nearly a decade, the Pulse building served as both a crime scene and a site of collective mourning, with visitors leaving flowers, photographs, and notes as the structure became a place of pilgrimage.

Read at Advocate.com