Orlando shooting: Biden designates Pulse nightclub national memorial site

Mourners attend a candlelight vigil outside the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando

US President Joe Biden has signed a law that designates a former nightclub that was the scene of a deadly mass shooting as a national memorial site.

In 2016, a gunman killed 49 people at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. It was the nation's worst mass shooting at the time.

Survivors and family members of the victims recently commemorated the shooting's five-year anniversary.

At a White House signing ceremony, Mr Biden called again for gun reforms.

"Just over five years ago, the Pulse Nightclub - a place of acceptance and joy - became a place of unspeakable pain and loss, and we'll never fully recover from it, but we'll remember," he said. The announcement comes as Pride month draws to a close.

On 12 June 2016, Pulse - one of the biggest and most popular gay clubs in Orlando - was in the early morning hours of a Latin-themed event when a gunman opened fire. There were more than 300 people inside at the time.

Armed with an AR-15-type assault rifle and a handgun, the shooter claimed 49 lives and wounded 53 people before being killed in a shootout with police.

Mr Biden was vice-president when the shooting occurred.

Earlier this month, he marked its fifth anniversary in a statement that referred to Pulse as "hallowed ground". He also claimed he had stayed in contact with survivors and victims' families, several of whom were present on Friday at the White House for the event.

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There are plans to transform the site of the former nightclub into a permanent memorial site.

It will include an open-air museum and a reflecting pool, as well as an education centre with gardens, and a public plaza.

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On Friday the president also announced the appointment of a US special envoy to advance the human rights of LGBT people globally.

The role was created at the State Department in 2015 but has been vacant since 2017 as Mr Biden's predecessor Donald Trump chose not to fill the position.