ORLANDO, Fla. — In the days after the Pulse nightclub shooting, thousands of people in Orlando searched for a place to grieve.
Greg Zanis drove more than 1,000 miles from Aurora, Illinois, to Orlando with 49 white wooden crosses, each one honoring a life lost inside Pulse.
The crosses became one of the most recognizable memorials in the days after the attack, giving families, friends and strangers a place to mourn together.
Channel 9 recently found raw interview video with Zanis from June 2016 while preparing special coverage ahead of the 10-year mark since the Pulse tragedy.
Zanis, who died in 2020, also brought crosses to other communities after mass shootings, including Columbine, Sandy Hook and Parkland.
According to Lutheran Church Charities, Zanis made thousands of crosses through his Crosses for Losses mission.
The Pulse crosses are now in storage for preservation, along with many of the items left by mourners, and are protected by the Orange County Regional History Center.
Watch the extended interview above.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2026 Cox Media Group
