ORLANDO, Fla. — The aftermath of the Pulse nightclub terrorist attack still frustrates many people nine years later.
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The former onePULSE Foundation’s debacle and failure to build a permanent memorial, coupled with the FBI closing the case while some still have unanswered questions, continues to disappoint many people affected by the mass shooting.
Former NYPD Early Intervention Unit member Nancy Rosado could not stand by the night of the shooting after receiving word of what happened.
Having previously assisted emergency personnel who responded to ground zero during the attacks on 9/11, she immediately went to Orlando Health Hospital to offer help. Today, she still assists survivors and family members with their mental health impacted by the tragedy.
One topic she continues to help people with is something she is not even sure will ever happen: closure.
“Grief just does not magically stop,” Rosado said. “Every year you are going to be triggered into it again. Along the way, you’ll find a Mother’s Day card, or will find a shoe or sneaker or … it’s triggered all over again.”
Nine years after the tragic night, the city of Orlando is giving survivors and family members the opportunity to enter the former club for the first time before the site is demolished and a permanent memorial is constructed.
For those who choose to go inside, Rosado said it is another event that could trigger the trauma.
“People are going to fear whatever they are going to fear,” she said. “Rightfully so, they are entitled to feel that way.”
As time has gone by, the healing process for families has not been easy.
Without a permanent memorial, clear investigation answers, and the demolishing of the nightclub, Rosado said getting past the grief has not been easy.
She admits she has never been involved in an incident that has dragged on as long as the Pulse tragedy has.
Rosado said she’s seen all kinds of pain up close, but with Pulse, time has done little to heal the wounds.
“It’s very hard when you do not have the parts to the puzzle to move forward and so you stay in pain,” she said.