Media Outlets Seek Release of Pulse 911 Calls

Twenty-two media organizations, including The Miami Herald and The Associated Press, are suing the city of Orlando, Florida, for access to transcripts and recordings of 911 calls made during the mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub June 12.

The Herald reports that the news organizations filed a joint lawsuit Thursday seeking access to four 911 calls that the shooter, Omar Mateen, made while he was inside the nightclub, as well as 603 additional 911 calls made during the attack on the nightclub, which lasted three hours.

According to Politico, The city contends that the 911 calls are exempt from public records law because they record people being killed. The news organizations argue that a Connecticut court ruled in 2012 that 911 calls made during a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School were not exempt despite laws that restrict releasing child abuse records.

The media organizations also argue that 911 calls do not record any killings based on official reports of what happened the night of June 12.

Earlier this week, the Department of Justice released a redacted version of one of Mateen’s calls to 911 operators. The DOJ later released an unredacted transcript of the call after facing criticism. After backlash from media outlets and congressional leaders, the DOJ released an unredacted transcript.