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Florida judge dismisses federal lawsuit launched by Pulse nightclub massacre survivors

The lawsuit accused Orlando city and police officers of not responding properly to the attack

By Steve Brown

Words: Steve Brown

A Florida judge has dismissed a federal lawsuit launched by survivors and family members of the Pulse nightclub massacre.

In 2016, Omar Mateen open fired at the LGBT club in Orlando while it was hosting a Latin night and in total, 49 people were killed and 53 injured, making it the deadliest mass shooting by a sole gunman in US history at the time.

Mateen was shot and killed by police.

But now, survivors of the attack and family members of some of those who tragically lost their lives have submitted a lawsuit accusing the city of Orlando and police officers of not responding properly to the attack.

However, on Wednesday (November 14), US District Court Judge Paul Byron said the accusations did not make a ‘plausible claim’ and there were insufficient legal claims to move the case forward.

Solomon Radner, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said: “We respectfully disagree with Judge Byron’s decision to dismiss our clients’ case.

“This case is about protecting the Constitutional rights of individuals who were the victims of one of the worst mass shootings in this country’s history.

“We are exploring all of our options for ensuring that those individuals get their day in court.”