The popular gay nightclub in Florida where a gunman slaughtered dozens last month was broken into overnight, Orlando police said Thursday.
A police report obtained by NBC News said that a door to the Pulse nightclub was discovered pried open after owners Rosario and Barbara Poma had secured and left the property Wednesday. Damage was estimated at about $200.
The break-in occurred some time after law enforcement officials released the club back to the Pomas that same day. It had been treated as a crime scene since the June 12 rampage.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said the community is "still grieving" and learning of a potential burglary was "disturbing."
The Pomas had been at the club until about 2 p.m. Wednesday and then drove by later that night around 9:15 p.m., they told police. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
But around 3 a.m. Thursday, two employees noticed a vehicle gate and a privacy gate were open. It wasn't until later that morning when the Pomas found that a door that had been secured with plywood was also open.
"As I examined the exterior of the east door, I saw were the suspect(s) had used a prying tool to force the plywood away from the screws that held it to the metal door frame. Once the plywood was removed the suspect(s) used the prying tool and forced their way into the business," Officer John Ostrom wrote in his report.
Another door appeared to be partially pried loose.
Pulse does have an alarm system and cameras, but those were still shut off Wednesday.
Barbara Poma said in a statement that the club is "disappointed" that someone violated the space.
"Since June 12, we have seen the worst and best of human behavior," she said. "We are disappointed that someone felt compelled to violate the privacy of our beloved Pulse Night Club and the sacred place it has now become. We have faith in the Orlando Police Department and its’ investigation of this break-in. The club will continue to remain closed to the public as we work to plan the future of Pulse."
Orlando police said Wednesday that returning the property to the Pomas was an "important milestone" for the community to recover from the attack, the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
Authorities were still trying to determine what led Omar Mateen to open fire inside the club during its themed Latin Night. Mateen was killed in a shootout with cops.
