ORLANDO, Fla. – The FBI returned several personal items left behind by survivors of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando.
Victims were able to pick up the items Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at a hotel in Orlando. The FBI said that the items returned to survivors were personal belongings, and nothing of evidentiary value.
Pulse survivor Orlando Torres told News 6 that he went to meet with the FBI on Wednesday night to recover some items he left behind after being rescued inside the bathroom at Pulse.
Torres said that his cellphone was not returned Wednesday night, but he was able to get back his cellphone case, a credit card and a work identification card.
"As you can see, it's warped because it got wet and my phone was in here," said Torres while describing the condition of the cellphone case.
Torres said the case had water damage after pipes burst when police made a hole through the bathroom wall to rescue him.
During the shooting, Torres recalled, he was lying in a bathroom stall, using his phone to record the sound of gun shots and the shooter speaking.
Torres said he isn't sure if his cellphone will ever be returned, given the videos he recorded from inside the bathroom.
"God forbid something did happen to me, at least if he would have gotten away, or escaped, at least they had his voice recorded, you know, to identify his voice because he was speaking," Torres said.
News 6 obtained the email sent to Pulse survivors notifying them of the personal item recovery event this week at an Orlando area hotel.
"Give them the description of the items that we are claiming and they went to, you know, they left the room and came back with the stuff, and sure enough it was the stuff I identified," said Torres.
Torres said seeing the belongings for the first time brings back memories from that night for him and the other survivors.
Torres said within two months of the shooting, the FBI offered to return his credit card and work identification.