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Orlando Shooting Records Raise Questions About Exit at Nightclub Orlando Shooting Records Raise Questions About Exit at Nightclub
(about 1 hour later)
Three weeks before the shooting that left 49 people dead at a crowded gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., this month, a city inspector noted that at least one of the club’s exit doors was unusable, records released by the city on Tuesday show. The Orlando nightclub where 49 people died this month faced tough questions Tuesday after records were released suggesting that a door was broken weeks before the massacre and that another door had been blocked by a soda machine the night of the shooting.
The deficiency was in a stack of reports that had been set aside to be assigned for a follow-up, which had not occurred by the time of the shooting, the city’s fire marshal, Tammy Hughes, wrote in an text message hours afterward the massacre. Records show that Orlando’s fire marshal reached out to the fire chief hours after the murders saying that an inspection had revealed an inoperable door. The deficiency was in a stack of reports that had been set aside to be assigned for a follow-up, which had not occurred by the time of the shooting, the city’s fire marshal, Tammy Hughes, wrote in an email message.
On the day of the shooting, Ms. Hughes sent a text message to the fire chief, Roderick Williams, saying, “code enforcement is here, showed me a picture where the club owner had blocked the exit with a coke machine he has pictures.” On the day of the shooting, Ms. Hughes sent a text message to the fire chief, Roderick Williams, saying, “code enforcement is here, showed me a picture where the club owner had blocked the exit with a coke machine he has pictures.” Crucially, the newly released documents do not make clear whether the nightclub, Pulse, had corrected the violation. If any exits were still blocked when the slaughter took place, the documents do not indicate whether anyone was prevented from escaping.
Crucially, the newly released documents do not make clear whether the nightclub, Pulse, had corrected the violation. If any exits were still blocked when the slaughter took place, the documents do not indicate whether anyone was prevented from escaping. But on Tuesday, the city backtracked from the information contained in its records, saying that there were no safety hazards on the night of the shooting. Gerald Lane, an Orlando deputy fire chief, said that no doors were blocked and that the inoperable door was an issue with a light bulb for the door’s exit sign. Calling the report of a blocked door premature, Chief Lane said that Pulse was in compliance with state and local fire codes.
But on Tuesday, the city played down the report and said that no doors were blocked at the club and that the inoperable door was an issue with a light bulb for the door’s exit sign. Calling the report of a blocked door premature, Gerald Lane, an Orlando deputy fire chief, said that Pulse was in compliance with state and local fire codes.
“Nobody has commented about a blocked exit,” Chief Lane said an interview. “It was a rumor or a myth.” A lawyer for the club said none of its exit doors were blocked.“Nobody has commented about a blocked exit,” Chief Lane said an interview. “It was a rumor or a myth.” A lawyer for the club said none of its exit doors were blocked.
The email mentioning the possible problem was among hundreds of documents released by city about the June 12 shooting, in response to public records requests from The New York Times and other news organizations.The email mentioning the possible problem was among hundreds of documents released by city about the June 12 shooting, in response to public records requests from The New York Times and other news organizations.
On May 21, a Fire Department inspector went to Pulse for a routine check on its exits, and checked a box labeled “Exit Door or Hardware Inoperable,” but did not elaborate.On May 21, a Fire Department inspector went to Pulse for a routine check on its exits, and checked a box labeled “Exit Door or Hardware Inoperable,” but did not elaborate.
After receiving the text message from Ms. Hughes, Chief Williams texted back, asking how many exits were blocked. Ms. Hughes replied, “maybe one or two.”After receiving the text message from Ms. Hughes, Chief Williams texted back, asking how many exits were blocked. Ms. Hughes replied, “maybe one or two.”
Ms. Hughes wrote in a text message, the city “will have to answer some tough questions” about the code violations. Twenty minutes later, she suggested to the chief a “great P.R. opportunity” for the Fire Department, by distributing water to people standing in line to donate blood for the survivors.Ms. Hughes wrote in a text message, the city “will have to answer some tough questions” about the code violations. Twenty minutes later, she suggested to the chief a “great P.R. opportunity” for the Fire Department, by distributing water to people standing in line to donate blood for the survivors.
In an email exchange shortly after they traded text messages, Chief Williams asked, “Did we follow up to confirm the exit was unblocked?”In an email exchange shortly after they traded text messages, Chief Williams asked, “Did we follow up to confirm the exit was unblocked?”
Ms. Hughes wrote back that the Fire Safety Management Division received the inspection report on June 6, and “it was in the stack to be assigned and it was assigned to the fire inspector for follow up” sometime in June. That is within the normal follow-up time, she wrote, adding, “NO concerns about our practice at this time.”Ms. Hughes wrote back that the Fire Safety Management Division received the inspection report on June 6, and “it was in the stack to be assigned and it was assigned to the fire inspector for follow up” sometime in June. That is within the normal follow-up time, she wrote, adding, “NO concerns about our practice at this time.”
Pulse had six exits, twice as many as needed to accommodate its occupancy limit, Ms. Hughes told the chief. The club, a popular spot for young gay people and Latinos, was approved to have as many as 360 people in it, and officials have said that at the time of the shooting, it had about 320.Pulse had six exits, twice as many as needed to accommodate its occupancy limit, Ms. Hughes told the chief. The club, a popular spot for young gay people and Latinos, was approved to have as many as 360 people in it, and officials have said that at the time of the shooting, it had about 320.
On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Fire Department, Ashley Papagni, said that “after a review of fire records, there is no pattern of exits being blocked inside Pulse, this includes the most recent exit check conducted on May 21, 2016.”On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Fire Department, Ashley Papagni, said that “after a review of fire records, there is no pattern of exits being blocked inside Pulse, this includes the most recent exit check conducted on May 21, 2016.”
She added,“The fire engineer who conducted the exit check reports there were zero life-safety issues and two minor infractions.”She added,“The fire engineer who conducted the exit check reports there were zero life-safety issues and two minor infractions.”
Asked about the text messages mentioning the blocked door, Chief Lane said Tuesday that the soda machine supposedly blocking a door was outside the club. The photograph was taken from a distance and the interpretation was not accurate, he said. The texts, he said, “were sent prematurely without having facts.”Asked about the text messages mentioning the blocked door, Chief Lane said Tuesday that the soda machine supposedly blocking a door was outside the club. The photograph was taken from a distance and the interpretation was not accurate, he said. The texts, he said, “were sent prematurely without having facts.”
Gus R. Benitez, a lawyer for Pulse, said the May 21 fire inspection simply turned up a missing exit-sign light bulb and a fire extinguisher that needed to be hung, both of which were corrected.Gus R. Benitez, a lawyer for Pulse, said the May 21 fire inspection simply turned up a missing exit-sign light bulb and a fire extinguisher that needed to be hung, both of which were corrected.
“The lack of specificity and clarity in the fire department’s report is regretful,” Mr. Benitez said in a statement.“The lack of specificity and clarity in the fire department’s report is regretful,” Mr. Benitez said in a statement.
“As for the allegation that a public exit door was blocked, that is untrue,” he said, adding that none of the club’s six exits were blocked. “There is a door to the outside that is not used by anyone, whether they be employees or patrons. That door is in a room behind the bar where patrons are not allowed,” and is not an exit door.“As for the allegation that a public exit door was blocked, that is untrue,” he said, adding that none of the club’s six exits were blocked. “There is a door to the outside that is not used by anyone, whether they be employees or patrons. That door is in a room behind the bar where patrons are not allowed,” and is not an exit door.
The gunman, Omar Mateen, entered the club at about 2 a.m. and fired on people with an assault rifle and a handgun, had a shootout with arriving police officers, and took hostages in a bathroom. Talking by phone with the police, he kept them at bay for three hours with threats — which turned out to be false — that he had explosives, and he declared allegiance to the Islamic State.The gunman, Omar Mateen, entered the club at about 2 a.m. and fired on people with an assault rifle and a handgun, had a shootout with arriving police officers, and took hostages in a bathroom. Talking by phone with the police, he kept them at bay for three hours with threats — which turned out to be false — that he had explosives, and he declared allegiance to the Islamic State.
After 5 a.m., the police stormed the club, traded gunfire with Mr. Mateen, killing him, and freed the people he held in a bathroom and others who were hiding in a D.J. booth, a dressing room and another bathroom. In addition to the gunman, 49 people died and 53 were wounded.After 5 a.m., the police stormed the club, traded gunfire with Mr. Mateen, killing him, and freed the people he held in a bathroom and others who were hiding in a D.J. booth, a dressing room and another bathroom. In addition to the gunman, 49 people died and 53 were wounded.
City officials, responding to criticism that the police should have gone in sooner, have said that doing so would have put the hostages at risk, and that they used the time during the standoff to negotiate with the gunman and figure out how to get everyone safely out of the building.City officials, responding to criticism that the police should have gone in sooner, have said that doing so would have put the hostages at risk, and that they used the time during the standoff to negotiate with the gunman and figure out how to get everyone safely out of the building.
The Fire Department said Tuesday that an official would be available later in the day to discuss the newly released documents. D.J.s who worked at the club said they had encountered no problems with the doors.The Fire Department said Tuesday that an official would be available later in the day to discuss the newly released documents. D.J.s who worked at the club said they had encountered no problems with the doors.