Break-in reported at Orlando club Pulse, site of mass shooting
ORLANDO -- The Orlando nightclub where 49 people were slain and 53 others were injured in a mass shooting last month was broken into overnight Thursday, according to police.
We can confirm Pulse had a break in last night. Details will be in the report. Once it is finalized we will release. pic.twitter.com/fcLWDhsyB7
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) July 14, 2016
The break-in at Pulse reportedly happened hours after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Orlando police turned the facility back over to its owners.
It's not known whether anything was stolen or whether the club sustained any damage, reports CBS affiliate WKMG.
According to a police report, club owners Rosario and Barbara Poma told police they were at the club Wednesday until about 2 p.m. When they left, they said the club's exterior doors were locked and most were covered with plywood. The chain link vehicle fence outside the property was also locked.
Around 3 a.m. Thursday, several club employees drove by and reportedly noticed the vehicle gate open. They also noticed that the front patio gate, which allows access to two entry doors for the club, was open. Believing everything was okay, police say they secured the vehicle gate and left.
When the owners arrived around 9 a.m. with about 10-15 employees, Rosario Poma told police he noticed that the club's east door, which had been locked and covered with plywood, swung open when he pushed it. Police say the suspect had pried off the plywood using a tool to force it away from the metal screws that held it to the door frame. The suspect then use the tool to pry open the door and enter the club, police say.
The plywood on the club's north door had also been pried loose, police say, but wasn't totally removed from the door frame.
Pulse employees were seen at the club Thursday morning, some embracing co-workers.
Up until Wednesday, Orlando police or other law enforcement agencies were guarding the scene, but the club will now be required to pay for its own security, reported the Orlando Sentinel. The club's alarm system, which includes a camera wasn't activated when the club was secured on Wednesday, police say.
Sara Brady, a spokeswoman for the club's owners, told the paper the break-in happened around 3:30 a.m., but didn't have any more details.
"I think it's fair to say that the owners are disappointed that someone would do that," she said.