When Barbara Poma cofounded a nightclub in Orlando with her friend Ron Legler, she named it Pulse in memory of her older brother, John, who died of AIDS-related illness in 1991.

As teenagers in Fort Lauderdale, the two siblings found escape and community—plus glamour and lots of fun—in the city’s gay nightlife, The Washington Post reports. Poma’s older brother taught her about fashion and makeup. In her experience, his being gay wasn’t a political act. He was just her “loving brother.”

When she opened Pulse, Poma wanted to create a venue that would make her brother proud and would also honor his memory and “his heartbeat,” according to the club’s website.

The club succeeded in its mission for 12 years. The location became a center for HIV prevention, immigration rights and breast cancer awareness.

Then early on Sunday, June 12, armed gunman Omar Mateen opened fired in the club, killing 49 people and injuring more than 40 before being shot by officers in what is the largest mass shooting in the history of the United States.