- A gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history.
- 50 people have died and around 53 have been injured
- The shooter has been identified as Omar Mateen.
- Mateen’s parents claim he was motivated not by religious reasons but by his hatred for the LGBTQ community.
Fifty people were killed and around 53 injured when a gunman opened fire at Pulse – a gay night club in Orlando, Florida – early on Sunday morning. Following the incident, police confirmed the death of the gunman and called it an act of “domestic terrorism.” The shooting started at 2 am EST, while there were around 300 people in the club.
Authorities said that’s when 29-year-old suspect Omar Mateen emerged, carrying an AR-15 and spraying the helpless crowd with bullets. Witnesses said he fired relentlessly — 20 rounds, 40, then 50 and more. In such tight quarters, the bullets could hardly miss. He shot at police. He took hostages.
Injured in Critical Condition
At least 53 people were hospitalised, most in critical condition, and a surgeon at Orlando Regional Medical Center said the death toll was likely to climb.
The previous deadliest mass shooting in the US was the 2007 attack at Virginia Tech, where a student killed 32 people before killing himself.
Thirty-nine people died at the site of the shooting while 11 of them succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, according to Mayor Buddy Dyer.
Shooter Reportedly Detested Gay People
According to media reports, Mateen was born to Afghan parents. His father says he is shocked by the actions of his son, and says that the attack perpetrated by him wasn’t motivated by religion but by his hate towards the LGBT community.
His father described a recent incident where his son was enraged by the sight of two men kissing in public, and said that Mateen’s actions were influenced by this incident.
We are apologising for the whole incident. We were not aware of any action he is taking. We are in shock like the whole country. This had nothing to do with religion.Mir Seddique, Omar Mateen’s Father
ISIS Claims Responsibility
Islamic State’s Amaq news agency said that the Islamist militant group was responsible for the shooting.
The armed attack that targeted a gay night club in the city of Orlando in the American state of Florida which left over 100 people dead or injured was carried out by an Islamic State fighter.Amaq
Omar Mateen called 911 shortly before the shooting and pledged allegiance to ISIS, according to NBC News. Mateen reportedly swore allegiance to extremist leader Abu Bakr-al-Baghdadi.
It is unclear, however, if the group helped in planning the attack or had knowledge of it being carried out.
Shooter Was a ‘Mentally Unstable’ Private Security Officer
Police found a handgun and an assault rifle on Mateen. The rifle, an AR-15 semi-automatic, was bought legally by the shooter last week in Florida, reported NBC.
He had a firearms license since at least 2011, and had been a private security officer in Florida.
Mateen’s ex-wife told the Washington Post that he was mentally unstable and would beat her repeatedly when they were married. She said her family members “rescued” her from the stormy marriage after four months, and it eventually ended in divorce. The two had not been in touch in the last 7-8 years.
She also said that Mateen had a history with steroids. She described him as religious but not radical.
Police Reveal Names of Victims
The police have revealed the names of the victims who died in the shooting.
The sheer number of deaths appeared to overwhelm officials in Orlando, a city of 270,000 people. Orlando Police asked mourners to hold off on vigils as they were understaffed to police them.
Obama Called the Shooting an “Act of Terror”
US President Barrack Obama, in a statement at the White House, spoke about the shootings and implored the nation “to not give into fear.”
“This was an act of terror, and an act of hate”, said the President.
This is a sobering reminder that attacks on any American - regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation - is an attack on all of us and on the fundamental values of equality and dignity that define us as a country.
And This is How Trump Responded
US’ First Facebook ‘Safety Check’
The shooting led to Facebook introducing the ‘Safety Check’ feature for the first time in the US. The Safety Check feature was first introduced in 2014 for people to search for those affected and mark themselves in wake of a natural disaster or crisis.
(With inputs from Reuters and AP)
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