ORLANDO, Fla. – A federal lawsuit filed by Pulse shooting survivors who alleged that their civil rights were violated was dismissed on Wednesday.
The lawsuit, which was filed in June then re-filed in August after the court determined that it was too vague, named the City of Orlando and Orlando police Officer Adam Gruler, who was working security at the club the night of June 12, 2016, as defendants.
Dozens of survivors, families of victims and an Eatonville police officer who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after responding to the massacre were named as plaintiffs.
The lawsuit alleges that the shooting that claimed 49 lives and left dozens more injured could have been prevented if authorities acted faster to neutralize gunman Omar Mateen. Attorneys for the plaintiff claim that if Gruler had not left his security post before the shooting, things could have turned out differently.
In his ruling to dismiss the lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Paul Byron wrote that the claims of the lawsuit were unsubstantiated for a variety of reasons, including the lack of ill will on the part of either of the defendants. Byron also noted that further attempts to amend the lawsuit would be "futile" and still result in dismissal.
Solomon Radner of Excolo Law, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, said an appeal could be coming.
"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, including appealing Judge Byron's decision," Radner said.