Pulse victims live on through carefully crafted drone

Man's project channels victims; '(It's) an opportunity to keep them dancing'

SORRENTO, Fla. – A Central Florida man is flying a drone to honor the 49 people who lost their lives in the Pulse nightclub shooting.

Rossi Nuccio said it took him and his team more than 100 hours to create the aircraft, which is adorned with the names and ages of those who died June 12.

They're also represented by their own unique silhouette.


"It's symbolically an opportunity to keep them dancing," Nuccio said. "There's all 49 of them represented here. There's 41 males and eight females, and they all have an individual dance move going. When it's flying, it also brings them up to the clouds."

Nuccio has a bird's-eye view from the drone, thanks to a special camera he mounted on top.

He posted a video on YouTube, which, he said, shows the beautiful cloudy view he hopes the victims see as angels in heaven.

Why did he create it?

He told News 6 he channeled many of his emotions after the shooting into his favorite hobby: creating and flying drones.

He said the artwork on the wings is designed to show the victims and their families that they will never be forgotten.

"There's been a lot of hard times, but in the end, if we all stay together and unify, we're going to come out on top, for sure," he said.

Nuccio's peace drone is flying this weekend at the Central Florida FPV Meet in Sorrento.​


About the Author:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.