Pulse Orlando crosswalk: 'Pulse Memorial' package prompts evacuation near Pulse Nightclub site
Suspicious package found in front of Pulse site
Police and firefighters responded Monday evening to a suspicious package discovered at the Pulse nightclub memorial site, prompting road closures and the arrival of a bomb squad.
The streets around the Pulse Nightclub and the Pulse memorial crosswalk were briefly closed and evacuated on Monday evening over a suspicious package that was delivered to the area, according to first responders.
The package, described as a Walmart delivery addressed only to "Pulse Memorial" and reportedly delivered earlier in the day by a UPS truck, was discovered inside the site shortly before 6 p.m., authorities said.
FOX 35's Stephanie Buffamonte was preparing for a live report when Orlando Police, Orlando Fire, and other emergency officials quickly arrived on scene, evacuated the area, and put up yellow caution tape around the pulse memorial site.
Shortly before 7 p.m., the package was deemed safe by authorities, according to FOX 35's Stephanie Buffamonte. Officials told FOX 35 that the package was determined to be chalk.
Photos: Pulse Memorial site, crosswalk evacuated over suspicious package
Orlando Pulse Crosswalk: Memorial or political messaging?
Crowds have been at the Pulse Memorial over the last several days after the rainbow memorial crosswalk was unexpectedly painted over in black paint. The Florida Department of Transportation painted the crosswalk following new state and federal guidelines that seek to create a uniform look for crosswalks, and to, according to Republican officials, eliminate artwork described as political messages or distractions.
Members and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community have used chalk and paint to re-color the crosswalk twice – in defiance of the state's action. Over the weekend, Orlando Police and at least one FHP trooper were spotted at that site.
A FOX 35 staff member who was in the area overheard a pair of Orlando police officers telling people to not be in the crosswalk as it posed a danger. Others have used chalk to draw messages of support on the sidewalks on either side of the crosswalk.
The rainbow crosswalk was originally installed in 2017, a year after the Pulse nightclub shooting that killed 49 people, and had stood for eight years with city and county approval. City leaders and Pulse nightclub survivors see this crosswalk as a memorial to those killed on June 12, 2016.