Ceremony honors 49 Pulse victims

At a Tuesday ceremony in Orlando to mark the passage of two years since 49 people were killed at Pulse nightclub, the club’s owner delivered a message to those who survived the massacre and the families of those killed: “You are never alone.”

“We have not forgotten what you’ve endured and what you are still enduring,” said Barbara Poma, who since the June 12, 2016, mass shooting has founded the onePULSE Foundation and spearheaded the construction of a memorial to the victims, survivors and first-responders.

“Your stories became a part of each of us,” Poma said. “Your heartbreak became our heartbreak.”

The ceremony featured a variety of tributes to the victims, including a video with brief messages about their lives and dreams read by family members, which moved some in attendance to tears.

Hundreds attended the event, which the onePULSE Foundation hosted. Story, 7B