ORLANDO, Fla. _ Authorities released custody of the Pulse nightclub building back to its owners Wednesday after more than a month of investigation at the site since the June 12 mass shooting.
With the release of the crime scene, Orlando police are "not responsible for guarding the Pulse site anymore," OPD spokeswoman Michelle Guido said.
"If the owners wish, they could hire extra duty (Orlando Police officers) and they have been notified," Guido said. "They could also hire private security if they would like to."
The nightclub has been under the control of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Orlando Police Department since a shooter killed 49 and injured more than 50.
The transfer comes a day after OPD Police Chief John Mina said he entered the building for the first time.
Pulse owner Barbara Poma said Pulse "was always intended to be a safe place for the LGBT community" and called the building's release Wednesday "bittersweet."
"While we currently remain uncertain about our specific next steps, we can now begin to move forward and make plans for the future of Pulse," Poma said.
Clean-up crews have been spotted at the building for the past approximate two weeks.
Mina said he only first entered the building for an hour Tuesday afternoon "to get a feel for the layout and see for (himself) where officers were positioned during the incident."
"I also took a moment to reflect on the victims," Mina said.
Mina said he "purposely stayed out of the crime scene by design" so he could "(lead) our police department and the community through this horrific event."
"Even after the shooter was killed ... there were many tasks still to be accomplished and decisions made which affected the investigation, our community, and our officers," Mina said. "I did not want the images of the victims on my mind as I was making these very important decisions."
While Mina said he has "thought of the victims and their families every day since," he needed to stay away from inside the crime scene to focus on his leadership role within the department.
"I certainly don't regret that decision and would never want to be accused of someone who just looked in the crime scene for morbid curiosity," Mina said.
Though the building has been released back to its owners, FDLE spokeswoman Molly Best said the FDLE and FBI's criminal investigations into the shooting "are still ongoing."
"This event marks an important milestone in our community's recovery ... as we continue to mourn the loss of the 49 victims and grieve with their families and friends," Best said.
