On June 12, 2016, Pulse Nightclub in Orlando was the scene of the worst mass shooting in United States history when Omar Mateen opened fire and killed 49 people and wounded 53 others. Now, a documentary called One Pulse will tell the story of the shooting by focusing on the victims’ stories and highlighting what law enforcement did wrong.
According to Deadline, the film will focus on what happened in the 192 minutes before police were able to overtake Mateen; the documentary also does not mention Mateen by name, choosing instead to focus on the victims’ stories and the lag in police response. ““Police first exchanged gunfire with the shooter and then decided not to pursue him into the bathroom,” Minn told Deadline. “That was the most critical decision of that night.”
What happened at Pulse a year ago was a horrific act of terrorism that wrecked havoc on a community in their own space. Police response to the events were in line with protocol for dealing with a hostage situation. A recently released report about the Pulse shooting takes this into consideration, noting that police protocol for situations like this should change, because terrorists are rarely wiling to negotiate.
The trailer is heartbreaking and difficult to watch but it is certainly important. Minn is currently seeking distribution for the documentary and hopefully he finds it.
DISCUSSION
Is there anything we can do to support this doc & the filmmaker?