President Joe Biden on Saturday observed the fifth anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida.

Forty-nine people died and dozens more were injured when a lone gunman opened fire in the gay nightclub on June 12, 2016.

The nightclub never reopened and was turned into an interim memorial.

At the time, the massacre was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. It also renewed calls for stricter gun control laws.

Biden, then vice president, and former President Barack Obama traveled to Orlando to pay their respects to the victims and their families.

“Over the years, I have stayed in touch with families of the victims and with the survivors who have turned their pain into purpose, and who remind us that we must do more than remember victims of gun violence and all of the survivors, family members, and friends left behind; we must act,” Biden said.

Calling Pulse “hallowed ground,” Biden announced that he would sign a bill enshrining it as a national memorial. He also called for the passage of stricter gun control laws and the Equality Act, an LGBT protections bill that cleared the House and is before the Senate.

“We must create a world in which our LGBTQ+ young people are loved, accepted, and feel safe in living their truth. And the Senate must swiftly pass the Equality Act, legislation that will ensure LGBTQ+ Americans finally have equal protection under law,” he said.

“In the memory of all of those lost at the Pulse nightclub five years ago, let us continue the work to be a nation at our best – one that recognizes and protects the dignity and safety of every American,” Biden concluded.