Pulse nightclub owner changes her mind and says she no longer wishes to sell it to the city of Orlando so they can turn it into a memorial
- Barbara Poma, who owns the Florida nightclub Pulse, says she can't walk away from the property where 49 people where killed and dozens injured last June
- Poma's club was the site of the worst mass shooting in modern US history
- Gunman Omar Mateen, who was killed in a shootout with SWAT team members after a three-hour standoff, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group
- Poma said she plans to use the space to create a 'sanctuary of hope' and a welcoming area where people can reflect on those affected by the tragedy
- The city had planned to pay $2.25 million for the gay nightclub property
The owner of the Florida nightclub where the worst mass shooting in modern US history took place said Monday that she is no longer interested in selling the property to the city of Orlando.
Pulse nightclub owner Barbara Poma said in a statement that she can't walk away from the property, where 49 people were killed and dozens more injured during a massacre last June.
![The owner of Florida nightclub Pulse, where the worst mass shooting in modern US history took place (pictured), says she no longer plans to sell the property to the city of Orlando](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/05/article-urn:publicid:ap.org:a291da9dbb674587a6f61b4fe5ebcdbd-24NM2lGHqv65b78a447e67ca3ae2-791_634x421.jpg)
The owner of Florida nightclub Pulse, where the worst mass shooting in modern US history took place (pictured), says she no longer plans to sell the property to the city of Orlando
![Pulse nightclub owner Barbara Poma said she can't walk away from the property, where 49 people were killed and dozens more injured during a massacre last June (pictured)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/05/19/3B1239B700000578-4002444-image-a-34_1480967370912.jpg)
Pulse nightclub owner Barbara Poma said she can't walk away from the property, where 49 people were killed and dozens more injured during a massacre last June (pictured)
![Poma (right) says she plans to use the space to create a 'sanctuary of hope' and a welcoming area where people can reflect on those affected by the tragedy](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/05/19/3B12351F00000578-4002444-image-a-35_1480967383266.jpg)
Poma (right) says she plans to use the space to create a 'sanctuary of hope' and a welcoming area where people can reflect on those affected by the tragedy
Gunman Omar Mateen, who was killed in a shootout with SWAT team members after a three-hour standoff, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
Poma said she plans to use the space to create a 'sanctuary of hope' and a welcoming area where people can reflect on those affected by the tragedy.
'I feel a personal obligation to ensure that a permanent space at Pulse be created so that all generations to come will remember those affected by, and taken on, June 12,' she said.
Last month, the city of Orlando announced plans to purchase Pulse and eventually convert it into a memorial.
![The massacre at Pulse, considered the worst mass shooting in modern US history, claimed 49 lives (pictured) and left dozens injured last June](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/05/20/38BA6ECC00000578-4002444-image-a-37_1480969532115.jpg)
The massacre at Pulse, considered the worst mass shooting in modern US history, claimed 49 lives (pictured) and left dozens injured last June
![Since the June massacre, dozens of people stop by each day to lay flowers, stuffed animals or candles outside the nightclub located south of downtown (pictured)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/05/20/3AFAE35A00000578-4002444-image-a-38_1480969569615.jpg)
Since the June massacre, dozens of people stop by each day to lay flowers, stuffed animals or candles outside the nightclub located south of downtown (pictured)
The city had planned to pay $2.25 million for the gay nightclub property.
City spokeswoman Cassandra Lafser said in a statement that city officials respect Poma's decision.
She added officials are 'hopeful the Pulse site continues to be a place of hope and healing that honors the victims.'
![Gunman Omar Mateen (pictured), who was killed in a shootout with SWAT team members after a three-hour standoff, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/05/20/352EA00600000578-4002444-image-a-39_1480969590893.jpg)
Gunman Omar Mateen (pictured), who was killed in a shootout with SWAT team members after a three-hour standoff, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group
![City spokeswoman Cassandra Lafser said in a statement that city officials respect Poma's decision regarding what to do with Pulse in the aftermath of the shooting (pictured)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/05/20/3B1239DE00000578-4002444-image-a-40_1480969701287.jpg)
City spokeswoman Cassandra Lafser said in a statement that city officials respect Poma's decision regarding what to do with Pulse in the aftermath of the shooting (pictured)
Since the June massacre, dozens of people stop by each day to lay flowers, stuffed animals or candles outside the nightclub located south of downtown.
City staffers will continue to research how other communities have built memorials to tragedies, Lafser said.
'We believe it is important for the community to have input into a memorial that honors the victims and pays tribute to the resiliency of Orlando,' she said.
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