The new Pulse Advisory Committee met for the first time Wednesday afternoon in the Kia Center.
It’s the first step on the journey to creating the long-awaited Pulse Memorial.
Some of the members were at the meeting in-person and others called in over Zoom.
The committee consists of 18 people who are either survivors, victims’ family members or community stakeholders.
The meeting began with each person sharing why they decided to be a part of this effort.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
One of them is Pulse Nightclub shooting survivor Norman Casiano.
“I feel like there’s been so many voices left unheard,” Casiano said.
He said it’s time for all the people impacted to have a place they can go to during the healing process.
The survivors believe they were wrong by the now dissolved One Pulse Foundation.
“I hate that we were taken advantage of like the fact that it is eight years now, and literally nothing was done on their end something has to be done,” Pulse Nightclub shooting survivor Tommy Connelly said.
He questions whether Orlando City commissioners will do what is right.
“How many commissioners were a part of the last foundation? And how can we trust them to support what we push forward as a memorial when they had the eight years prior?” Connelly said.
One discussion during the meeting was the mission and vision for the Pulse Memorial.
The committee chair, Dr. Larry Schooler asked the group, “When you think about what makes a memorial respectful, what would you say?”
Casiano responded, “Anything that is memorializing those who were lost and taken from us where were, like Laly said, telling a story and kind of sharing their legacy.”
The group also heard from people involved with the development of memorials in other states following tragedy for insight into the process.
Siclaly Santiago lost a family member in the shooting. She believes the memorial finally has a chance.
During public comment, the mother of a victim spoke. She was one of the 150 who applied to join the committee, but she was not accepted.
“It’s so unfair, it’s royally unfair to do this to me as a mother,” she said.
The committee members requested that the city consider allowing some family members who were denied to join the committee.
Schooler said he will alert Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the commissioners.
The next meeting will be Thursday from 4 - 6 p.m. in the Hourglass Room of the Kia Center.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: