City of Orlando Violated Public Records Law; Exposed Dead Body of PULSE Victim
- Pulse Families and Survivors for Justice
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
***TRAUMA WARNING***
The following contains sensitive and retraumatizing information related to the death of a victim and may be distressing to survivors, families, and community members. We approach this with the utmost care, respect, and acknowledgment of the profound harm carried by those directly impacted. We will not display graphic imagery; any referenced visuals will be blurred to protect the dignity of the victim and their loved ones. We decided to publish this story because, without public awareness, there is no collective understanding and zero accountability.
Over the years, we have requested police body camera footage that was never released to the public. We did this to more fully and accurately understand the more-than-three-hour police response using all the evidence the City made available to us.
Florida law is clear: municipalities and all other public agencies are required to protect the dignity of victims of mass violence when releasing records to the public.
Under Florida’s Public Records Law, Chapter 119, and more specifically F.S. § 406.136, photographs, video, and audio recordings that depict the killing of a person in an incident of mass violence are confidential and exempt from public disclosure. These protections exist for a reason—to safeguard victims and their families from further harm, exploitation, and retraumatization.
This is the same statute that the City has repeatedly cited to justify withholding critical evidence—including the photograph of the blocked exit that trapped Pulse victim Luis Omar Ocasio Capo and multiple survivors for approximately 30 minutes. During that time, they bled from gunshot wounds and attempted unsuccessfully to move a beverage refrigerator that obstructed their escape route to the outdoor patio. The refrigerator was too heavy to move—especially under the conditions they were in.
First, when this photograph was requested, the City of Orlando stated that there were "no responsive records."
After repeated requests for this image, the City asserted that the photograph—and others not released—were exempt from disclosure on the grounds that they depicted “body parts.” However, at the time these photographs were taken, all victims’ bodies had been removed from the premises. The images depict only blood. Blood alone does not constitute an identifiable body part, nor does it enable identification of a specific victim. This interpretation is inconsistent with the City’s own prior releases, which include multiple photographs depicting blood from PULSE victims, including from the same room where this exit was blocked.
Thus, it became clear that the City was selectively applying this statute to withhold photos from the public in an effort to prevent public scrutiny—protecting the PULSE owners and avoiding litigation.
After the shooting, the City of Orlando lied to the public and to journalists asking questions about blocked exits. The City claimed there were no obstructed exits or egress at PULSE on June 12, 2016, while withholding its own evidence.
In light of these unlawful over-redactions, it was as surprising as it was horrifying to observe—upon review of the police body camera footage released by the City—that these same legal protections were not applied consistently.
In the footage, the visible face and body of Pulse victim Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, lying dead on the unpermitted patio enclosed with an illegal fence, were clearly identifiable—unredacted, unprotected, and released in direct contradiction to the very law the City has invoked to deny other records.
Victim advocate, Dr. Zachary Blair, reported the felony violation to the City of Orlando, Orange County Sheriff's Office, and Florida Attorney General, requesting the following:
A written acknowledgment of the complaint;
A full accounting of how these protected images were released, including who reviewed, approved, or transmitted the files;
Confirmation of corrective measures, including safeguards to prevent recurrence, and confirmation that the City notified the two affected families of the unlawful disclosure of their murdered family member;
and referral for appropriate review, including criminal referral if required by law, given the statutory classification of the offense.
You can read the full written complaint here:
He received no response. The City's Records Department later released the footage with the redactions required by law, but it was already too late.
To date, there has been zero law enforcement and zero accountability. What is the point of having laws if they are not going to be enforced?
Both Perez and his partner, Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, were killed at Pulse Nightclub.
To make matters worse, during Pulse site visits in 2025, the City told Laly Santiago Leon—the cousin of Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon—that Perez and Wilson-Leon died together on the dance floor. After being told of this misinformation by the City of Orlando, she told the public when interviewed by the news, "I truly love the fact that they were there with each other."
However, that is not a fact.
They did not die together.
Wilson-Leon died inside the club. His partner, Perez, died outside the nightclub.
The City had, in fact, misidentified Jean Carlos Mendez Perez as another victim, Jean Carlos Nieves Rodriguez. It was only after survivors identified this error that victim advocate, Blair, notified the City and pressured the city employee responsible for the mix-up to contact the Wilson-Leon family and provide them with the correct information.
You can read his email to the City below:
This is not a minor mistake. It is a profound failure—one that compounds grief, distorts truth, and undermines trust.
Our families deserve accuracy. They deserve dignity. And they deserve the full protection of the law—not selective application of it.
When the City chooses when to invoke Florida law and when to ignore it, the result is exactly what we see here: harm layered upon harm. Survivors retraumatized. Families misinformed. Our dignity violated.
The law cannot be selectively applied. When it is, the result is exactly what we see here: harm to our families, distortion of the truth, and a breakdown of trust.
For nearly a decade, we have been fighting for the same thing—clear answers, accurate information, and basic dignity.
That is not too much to ask. It is the minimum required for accountability—and the minimum required for justice.
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