Families of Pulse victims call for criminal investigation into onePULSE Foundation

On Mother's Day, moms who lost their children in the Pulse nightclub shooting are sharing their frustrations.

On Sunday, mothers who lost their children in the Pulse nightclub shooting nearly seven years ago shared their frustrations with the lack of progress on a memorial site to honor their children.

The onePULSE Foundation has been planning a national memorial, museum, and pathway at the Pulse nightclub shooting site for seven years. 

The dedications are meant to honor those who gave their lives, those who were injured, and the first responders who tried to save them. But the onePULSE Foundation announced Tuesday, after all this time, it’s going to move the planned site of the memorial.

"I’m angry. I’m sad. My son and his boyfriend were slaughtered along with 47 others," said Christine Leinonen whose son Christopher was killed in the mass shooting. "Ask the OnePulse foundation what have they been doing for seven years. There’s no memorial. There’s nothing."

The onePULSE Foundation said it wasn’t able to reach an agreement with the owner of the building, Barbara Poma, about the donation of the property. The nonprofit said in a statement Sunday:

"The onePULSE Foundation Board of Trustees has been involved in good faith discussions for months about the donation of the property with the Pomas. The Foundation could not come to an agreement about the donation of the property in which to build the memorial. The Foundation does not have any control over property it does not own. As a result, the Foundation desires to realize the memorial on an alternative site, so that we can create a sanctuary of hope and healing for everyone impacted by the tragedy. The Foundation will announce more about this later this month."

Mothers and victims spoke out against the idea of a museum being built saying it feels like they're making a tourist attraction out of their tragedy. The group is calling for a criminal investigation and claims the onePULSE Foundation misused funds.

 "This turned into profit. I became someone's meal ticket and I’m not receiving any of that meal. And that’s the problem," said a victim of the shooting.

In response to this, the onePULSE released the following statement:

"The onePULSE Foundation respects the solemnity of today for those who have lost loved ones. However, the claims made today about the Foundation are untrue and misinformed. The onePULSE Foundation publishes its audited financial statements and 990 on its website, a practice it has adhered to every year since its inception. Furthermore, the Foundation is proud to carry a Gold Seal rating in Guidestar, a rating that less than five percent of nonprofits registered with the agency hold. Guidestar evaluates the financial transparency and accountability of nonprofits worldwide."