Thread: Orlando Nightclub Shooting

Shooter ID'd in terrorist attack that killed 50 people

Published: Sunday, June 12th 2016, 3:26 am CDT

ORLANDO, FL (RNN) - Police identified the suspect in a Florida night club shooting that left approximately 50 dead and 53 wounded in Orlando, FL.

The attack is the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, surpassing the shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007 where 32 people were killed.

Officials confirmed the shooter's identity as Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie, FL. He is a U.S. citizen, however, police officials said his family members are not U.S. citizens.

Police are searching the gunman's home as well as social media for evidence. Mateen is suspected of carrying out a hostage situation in what officials are calling "domestic terrorism" and police and FBI are investigating if he had ties to a terrorist groups. The suspected gunman's father has told several media outlets he suspects an anti-gay motivation rather than a religious one.

President Barack Obama was briefed on the shooting and the White House released a statement saying he was in communication with the FBI

"The President was briefed this morning by Lisa Monaco, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, on the tragic shooting in Orlando, Florida," the statement said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims. The President asked to receive regular updates as the FBI, and other federal officials, work with the Orlando Police to gather more information, and directed that the federal government provide any assistance necessary to pursue the investigation and support the community."

Police responded to calls of a shooting at 2 a.m. Eastern and exchanged gunfire with a shooter inside Pulse, a gay night club. The gunman then took hostages and police entered the club about three hours later, exchanging more gunfire and killing the suspect.

http://www.wafb.com/story/32201642/s...lties-reported

50 dead in nightclub shooting, worst in US history

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A gunman wielding an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside a crowded gay nightclub early Sunday, killing at least 50 people before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers, police said. It was the worst mass shooting in American history.

Authorities were investigating the attack on the Florida dance hall as an act of terrorism. The gunman's father recalled that his son got angry when he recently saw two men kissing in Miami. He said that might be related to the attack.

At least 53 people were hospitalized, most in critical condition, officials said. A surgeon at Orlando Regional Medical Center said the death toll was likely to climb.

Mayor Buddy Dyer said all of the dead were killed with the assault rifle. "There's blood everywhere," Dyer said.

The suspect exchanged gunfire with an officer working at the club known as Pulse around 2 a.m., when more than 300 people were inside. The gunman then went back inside and took hostages, Police Chief John Mina said.

Around 5 a.m., authorities sent in a SWAT team to rescue the hostages.

Jackie Smith, who was inside the club, said two friends next to her were shot. "Some guy walked in and started shooting everybody. He had an automatic rifle, so nobody stood a chance," Smith said. "I just tried to get out of there."

Authorities were looking into whether the attack was an act of domestic or international terror, and if the shooter acted alone, according to Danny Banks, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. "This is an incident, as I see it, that we certainly classify as domestic terror incident," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said.

The suspect was identified as Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie, Florida. Rep. Alan Grayson named the shooter, citing law enforcement officials. A federal law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation also confirmed the name. The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Mateen's father, Mir Seddique, told NBC News about his son seeing the men kissing a couple of months ago. "We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident," Seddique said. "We are in shock like the whole country."

The attack had nothing to do with religion, he said. FBI agent Ron Hopper said there was no further threat to Orlando or the surrounding area.

When asked if the gunman had a connection to radical Islamic terrorism, Hopper said authorities had "suggestions that individual has leanings towards that."

In addition to the guns, the shooter also had some sort of "suspicious device," Mina said. Authorities said they had secured the suspect's vehicle, a van, outside the club.

Relatives and friends, many in tears, gathered outside the hospital to learn the fate of loved ones.

Smith did not know the conditions of her friends and came out of the hospital and burst into tears.

Christine Leinonen drove to Orlando at 4 a.m. after learning of the shooting from a friend of her 32-year-old son, Christopher Leinonen, who was at Pulse and is missing.

She has not heard from her son and fears the worse. "These are nonsensical killings of our children," she said, sobbing. "They're killing our babies!"

She said her son's friend Brandon Wolf made it out alive by hiding in a bathroom and running out as the bullets flew.

A woman who was outside the dance club early Sunday was trying to contact her 30-year-old son, Eddie, who texted her when the shooting happened and asked her to call police. He told her he ran into a bathroom with other club patrons to hide. He then texted her: "He's coming."

"The next text said: 'He has us, and he's in here with us,'" Mina Justice said. "That was the last conversation."

Pulse posted on its own Facebook page around 2 a.m.: "Everyone get out of Pulse and keep running." Just before 6 a.m., the club posted an update: "As soon as we have any information, we will update everyone. Please keep everyone in your prayers as we work through this tragic event. Thank you for your thoughts and love."

The wounded included one police officer who was shot and suffered injuries to his face, officials said.

Police had said previously on Twitter that there was a "controlled explosion" at the scene of the shooting. Mina said that noise was caused by a device intended to distract the shooter.

President Barack Obama was briefed on the attack and asked for regular updates on the investigation, the White House said.

Jon Alamo said he was at the back of one of the club's rooms when a man holding a weapon came into the front of the room. "I heard 20, 40, 50 shots," Alamo said. "The music stopped."

Club-goer Rob Rick said the shooting started just before closing time. "Everybody was drinking their last sip," he said.

He estimated more than 100 people were still inside when he heard shots, got on the ground and crawled toward a DJ booth. A bouncer knocked down a partition between the club area and an area in the back where only workers are allowed. People inside were able to then escape through the back of the club.

Christopher Hansen said he was in the VIP lounge when he heard gunshots. He continued to hear shooting even after he emerged and police urged people to back away from the club. He saw the wounded being tended to across the street. "I was thinking, 'Are you kidding me?' So I just dropped down. I just said, 'Please, please, please, I want to make it out,'" he said. "And when I did, I saw people shot. I saw blood. You hope and pray you don't get shot."

The attack follows the fatal shooting late Friday of 22-year-old singer Christina Grimmie, who was killed after her concert in Orlando by a 27-year-old Florida man who later killed himself. Grimmie was a YouTube sensation and former contestant on "The Voice."

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pol...d=ansmsnnews11

How to help Orlando shooting victims
By Amy Chillag, CNN Special Projects
Updated 1:28 PM ET, Sun June 12, 2016


(CNN) — There's one way you can help victims of the Orlando, Florida, terror attack, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

Officials in Orlando are asking for blood donations, especially from people who have rare O negative blood.

"There is a dramatic increase in the demand for O negative blood by area hospitals and as a result OneBlood, the local blood center, is urging people with O negative blood to please donate as soon as possible," OneBlood said in a release.

Officials are urging Orlando-area residents to go to their local blood banks and not to hospitals at this time.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said Sunday that relatives of victims who need information can call a special hotline at (407) 246-4357.

The shooting occurred about 2 a.m. Sunday at Pulse, a gay nightclub. A lone gunman with an assault weapon opened fire inside the club, killing 50 and injuring 53.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/12/us/how...ory/index.html

Progressives scramble to mute Muslim terror attack on LGBT community
Rush to reframe Islamic murder of gays and lesbians as a "gun control" tragedy.
Joy Reid on FL Shooting: ‘The Core Issue’ Is ‘How Easy it Is To Get A Gun’
by Pam Key 12 Jun 2016

Sunday on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” national correspondent for MSNBC Joy Reid commented on the overnight shooting at a nightclub in Orlando, FL in which approximately 50 people were killed and 53 were injured and the authorities are investigating as an act of terrorism.

She argued the core issue was about “how easy it is to get a gun.”

Reid said, “We have mass casualty shooting that are affecting children, teachers, people in church, so whether it’s a hate crime or whether it’s related to something related to international terrorism, we’re not getting to the core issue, which is how easy it is to get a gun. I mean Florida happens to have the largest gun owning population in the country and some of the most lax laws as to how you can get your hands on an assault rifle, so if you mean to do harm. We’re talking about a state with 1.4 million law abiding gun owners. But we’re not talking about that issue. Right now the only debate that’s taking place in the state of Florida, is the Supreme Court weighing whether to allow complete open carry.”

http://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/...-to-get-a-gun/

She doesn't address reports that he also wore a "suicide vest" ....

Orlando Pulse club attack: gunman behind shooting that killed 50 'named as Omar Mateen'
Gunman who opened fire with assault rifle, and equipped with ‘suspicious device’, reportedly a 29-year-old US citizen

The gunman behind a suspected terrorist attack that killed 50 people at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando is believed to be a US citizen of Afghan heritage named as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old man from Florida.

He is alleged to have opened fire at the Pulse Club in the early hours of Sunday, taking hostages, killing many and hospitalising 53. Raising the alarm in the early hours of Sunday morning, staff at the venue posted on Facebook: “Everyone get out of pulse and keep running”. .

Orlando confirmed police said the shooting was being treated as an “act of domestic terrorism” and had resulted in mass casualties, urging people to stay away from the area.

Several news outlets identified the gunman as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old from Fort Pierce, Florida. The FBI said it had a “positive identification” of the shooter though it has not yet released a name as it is in the process of notifying his family.

The gunman was killed during a shootout with police, as they broke into the nightclub to rescue 30 people held hostage there. No motive for the attack has been offered by police. The Guardian has not been able to independently verify the identity of the shooter.

Police initially said about 20 people had been killed in the attack, with 42 injured, but later revised the death toll up to 50, with 53 hospitalised, including one police officer who had been shot in the head but whose “life had been saved by his Kevlar helmet”. They confirmed the gunman was armed with an assault rifle, handgun and “some kind of device”.

In a press conference on Sunday morning, an FBI spokesman said investigators believed the attacker may have had extremist beliefs, and would consider possible links to Isis, but cautioned they were pursuing multiple leads.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...b-pulse-gunman

Orlando Shooting Suspect Identified As Omar Mateen, Registered Democrat Of Afghan Descent; Pledged Allegiance To ISIS
by Tyler Durden - Jun 12, 2016 9:53 AM

Update 13:32 ET: Omar Mateen, who several years ago changed his name Omar Mir Seddique and added the Mateen part to his official name, is now said to have pledged allegiance to ISIS. As the Post reports, Omar Mateen had committed himself to ISIS before carrying out the bloodiest mass murder in US history at a gay nightclub in Orlando on Sunday, federal officials said. ateen “made a pledge of allegiance to ISIS,” California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, told CNN.

And in an even more surprising update, NBC reports that moments before the shootings, Omar Mateen called 911 to pledge allegiance to ISIS.

Update 13:15 ET: According to WaPo, the ex-wife of the 29-year-old shooting suspect said he was violent and mentally unstable and beat her repeatedly while they were married. The ex-wife said she met Omar Mateen online about eight years ago and decided to move to Florida and marry him. At first, the marriage was normal, she said, but then he became abusive.

“He was not a stable person,” said the ex-wife, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she feared for her safety in the wake of the mass shooting. “He beat me. He would just come home and start beating me up because the laundry wasn’t finished or something like that.”




* * *

Update 12:55 ET: A picture of the suspected attacker - who was earlier identified as Omar Mateen - has now been published by CBS news.

Update 12:35 ET: Cited by CNN, Congressman Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said that Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen "made a pledge of allegiance” to Islamic State and was “heard praying in a foreign language.” Earlier, Senator Bill Nelson also talked about the alleged links between Mateen and Islamic terrorists.

"I asked the FBI if there was any connection to Islamic radicalism. There appears to be. But they are naturally cautious and waiting throughout to see if if this is [in fact true]," Nelson said at a news conference on Sunday.

Update 12:25 ET: Mir Seddique, the Afghan immigrant father of the suspected shooter, says it is intolerance of homosexuality, and not affiliations with radical Islam, that likely provoked the attack. "This has nothing to do with religion," he told NBC, stating that he was “in shock like the whole country.” He went on to relate a “recent incident” that demonstrated his son’s attitudes. "We were in Downtown Miami, Bayside, people were playing music. And he saw two men kissing each other in front of his wife and kid and he got very angry. They were kissing each other and touching each other and he said, 'Look at that. In front of my son they are doing that.' And then we were in the men's bathroom and men were kissing each other."

* * *

Update 12:23 ET: The shooting "appears to be connected to Islamic radicalism" according to Florida Senator Ben Nelson

Update: 12:10 ET: Take this with a grain of salt (source is CNN), but according to Breaking911, an FBI source reported to CNN that the shooter was known as suspected ISIS sympathizer

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-0...een-us-citizen

ISIS Announced Florida Threat THREE Days Ago: “We Will Attack Florida”

Jim Hoft Jun 12th, 2016 8:39 am


On Saturday night an Islamist extremist murdered 50 people at a “Pulse” gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida

Shoebat.com reported on the threat three days ago.
ISIS Muslim terrorists released a statement on their plan to attack Florida, and even put out a list with the names of people in Florida that they plan on killing. According to one report: http://news3lv.com/news/nation-world...s-ex-fbi-agent

“A pro-Isis group has released a hit list with the names of more than 8,000 peoplemostly Americans.

More than 18,600,000+ people live in Florida, and one security expert believes that many of those targeted live in Palm Beach County and on the Treasure Coast.

The “United Cyber Caliphate” that hacked U.S. Central Command, 54,000 Twitter accounts and threatened President Barack Obama is the same pro-Isis group that’s reportedly created a “kill list” with the names, addresses and emails of thousands of civilian Americans.

Reports of the list came to light online when Vocativ reported the list was shared via the encrypted app, Telegram, and called on supporters to kill.

Former FBI agent-turned lawyer Stuart Kaplan says the threat is especially alarming, because the people on this list are civilians who don’t have the security necessary to protect themselves.

“It’s going to create some hysteria,” he said…

The Pulse nightclub killer was identified as Omar Mateen.


http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016...hree-days-ago/

Islamic Scholar says ‘killing homosexuals is the compassionate thing to do’ SOFREP Original Content

By Desiree Huitt| 06.12.2016

Sheikh Farrokh Sekaleshfar, an Islamic scholar, states that a death sentence is the compassionate thing to do for homosexuals. According to the sheikh, killing homosexuals will be the only way they could obtain forgiveness from God. He was invited to speak at the Husseini Islamic Center Mosque in Sanford, FL on homosexuality and women’s issues this past April, only a couple of months before today’s deadly terrorist attack on a gay nightclub.

Prior to killing at least 50 people at the club, Omar Mateen called 911 and pledged his allegiance to ISIS. It is unknown at this time if Omar Mateen attended the event at the Husseini Islamic Center Mosque.

https://sofrep.com/56544/watch-islam...rorist-attack/


Obama Mentions Guns But Not Radical Islam in Orlando Pulse Shooting Remarks

"This massacre is a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon," says Obama.

Robby Soave|Jun. 12, 2016 2:30 pm

President Obama described the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando last night as "an act of terror and hate," but did not mention the killer's self-proclaimed ties to ISIS or presumed radical Islamic ideology. "This was an act of terror and an act of hate," he said during his early afternoon press conference. "As Americans, we are united in grief and outrage and in resolve to defend our people."

The president urged the public not to leap to conclusions yet about the motivations of the gunman, Omar Mateen. Mateen had been previously investigated by the FBI. "We are still learning all the facts," said Obama. "We've reached no definitive judgment on the precise motivations of the killer. What is clear is that he was a person filled with hatred."

While Obama did not speculate about Mateen's motivations, news outlets are reporting that Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS shortly before his attack on Pulse. His family has thus far maintained that he simply hated gay people, and this hatred was not connected to his Islamic faith.

After declining to blame the attack on radical Islam, the president impugned the U.S. lack of effective gun control. "This massacre is a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon," he said. "We have to decide if that's the kind of country we want to be, and to actively do nothing is a decision as well."


http://reason.com/blog/2016/06/12/ob...t-radical-isla






THINK ABOUT THIS:
1. The shooter was employed as a security guard with a large known company

2. He held a class "G" rating for a gun in the state of Florida.....this rating is higher than most security personnel obtain to carry a weapon

3. Has been interviewed 3 times the past 2 years by the FBI for suspected terrorism

4. Purchased 2 guns the past couple of weeks LEGALLY

5. IS CURRENTLY on Active Terrorist Watch List

NOW THINK ABOUT IT ... Has this man broken any gun control laws ? NO.

FBI watch list as well as being interviewed 3 times the past 2 years pertaining to terrorist activity

Holds a Florida State lic., class "G" to carry a gun or any other type weapon

FACE IT.....who is the blame here......the FBI and other government agencies that were capable of revoking the gun permits and have him terminated from his job due to a terrorist risk .....CHECK THAT OUT OBAMA......YOUR BOYS MESSED UP BIG TIME!!

Americans... Are we so stuck on stupid that we will allow this administration to twist the terrorist attack in Orlando as a hate crime? Or a gun control issue?

I mean, sure. Islamist DO hate gays and kill them every day. But any ol' American will do. I don't care how anyone feels about sexual orientation- These are "our" Gays. Those were Americans the whack job killed. Soft targets- Just like in San Bernardino.

How many more people are we willing to sacrifice at the hands of the barack doctrine? There have been 100 ISIS linked terrorist arrests in the US. That means those we know about. And they are killing OUR people.

I saw a fella interviewed from the scene in Orlando say something like "This is weird. It's like real. It's like a movie." Perhaps that is the inkling of an awakening that we ARE at war and those rat bastards will kill anyone anywhere- mostly soft targets- schools, malls, clubs. It doesn't matter if your mind is so opened your brain falls out. They will target and kill you. It's the mission.

For God's Sake! Wake the hell up!

The only positive side is that FBI came out before the WH and called it what it is. And I just heard there is a connection to ISIS. barack needs to step down and let someone else finish his failed term. He is not concerned for Americans. I think I read there has been over 100 mass shootings since he's been in office- and he still can't say Islamic Terrorism. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but if you can't say it, you can't fight it.

OBAMA : ‘We’ are to blame, not Islamic terrorism, for massacre
By John Podhoretz - June 12, 2016 | 3:59pm

http://nypost.com/2016/06/12/obama-s...ando-massacre/

Country Star Issues Scathing Response To President's Speech Following Orlando Mass Shooting

Sunday morning (June 12), the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history took place at Pulse, a gay night club in Orlando, Florida. 50 people were killed and at least 53 more were injured in the attack that has elicited an outpouring of social media response from people around the globe.

[/quote]

One response that is garnering a lot of attention on Facebook came from Brooks & Dunn's Ronnie Dunn who posted a note following President Obama's speech regarding the shooting. In a press conference Sunday afternoon, President Obama called the shooting an act of terrorism

We know enough to say this was an act of terror and an act of hate," he said. "The FBI is appropriately investigating this as an act of terror. We will go wherever the facts lead us ... What is clear is he was a person filled with hatred." The President, an advocate for gun control, called for stricter gun laws. "This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, in a house of worship, or in a movie theater or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that's the kind of country we want to be. To actively do nothing is a decision as well."

Ronnie Dunn took to Facebook to criticize the President's speech and leadership calling it "unbelievable."

The worst mass murder in American history attributed to Isis and Obama steps up to the microphone and implies that it will stop if guns are taken away.

So, a law is passed and we are ordered to turn our guns in (billions of them)....

bet criminals and "terrorists" / Jihadists will rush to turn their guns in.

.....now, that's leadership. UNBELIEVABLE. RD

The post resulted in several thousand shares and reactions from Dunn's Facebook followers, many of whom agreed with the singer's observation.

No matter what Obama says I will not comply, because everything he is pushing for will harm us as Americans. So why don't you send some of your fools down here and take our guns. "Good luck"

But, others criticized Dunn calling him "another Republican Obama hater."

Spoken like another Republican OBAMA HATER. Give more guns to People. Why are people SHOCKED. This is part of AMERICAN LOVING GUNS SOCIETY. Ronnie Dunn i'm a big fan ,but to blame this on The President is a new LOW. So disappointed .

To which Dunn responded,

"Roline...no one BLAMED it on Obama. Political preference doesn't influence my opinion. I'm not selling politics, I'm making an observation. RD"

To read more response to Ronnie Dunn's Facebook post, click here. https://www.facebook.com/RonnieDunnMusic/?fref=ts

http://countryrebel.com/blogs/videos...-mass-shooting