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Police cars and fire trucks outside Pulse, an Orlando
nightclub where a suspected gunman left multiple people dead and injured.
(Orlando Police Department/Handout via Reuters)
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A gunman opened fire inside a crowded gay nightclub in
Orlando, killing 50 people and injuring dozens more in a rampage that turned
into a deadly hostage situation.
Authorities in Orlando said that 50 people were killed in
what authorities are calling an act of domestic terrorism, and many others were
injured in the violence at Pulse, a popular gay bar and dance club. Police had
initially thought about 20 people were killed in the attack, but authorities
said later on Sunday morning that the toll was significantly higher.
Officials said the shooter was shot and killed by police
officers in a shootout. It was not immediately clear if the 50 people killed
included the gunman.
The suspected gunman was identified by relatives and law
enforcement officials as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old from Fort Pierce, Fla. One
relative said that Mateen’s family was in shock after being told on Sunday
morning about his involvement. This relative said Mateen’s family was very
sorry about what had happened.
Police have not identified a possible motive, and details
about Mateen’s background were scarce on Sunday morning. His family is from
Afghanistan, while Mateen is believed to have been born in the United States.
“It appears he was organized and well-prepared,” Orlando
Police Chief John Mina said at a Sunday-morning news conference, noting that
the shooter had an “assault-type” weapon and a handgun.
At least 42 people were transported to various hospitals,
Mina said, adding that one officer was wounded.
“This is an incident … that we certainly classify as a
domestic terror incident,” Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said at the news
conference. The FBI is involved in the investigation, authorities said.
“We had a crime that will have a lasting effect on our
community,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said. “We need to stand strong, we need to
be supportive of the victims and their families.”
Officials said Sunday they found “an assault-type rifle and
a handgun” at the scene. In addition, a law enforcement official said Mateen
was previously known to authorities, but said he was not under investigation.
The White House said President Obama was briefed on the incident
Sunday.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved
ones of the victims,” the White House said in a statement. “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 said that during the shootout with the gunman, one
Orlando police officer was shot and saved by his Kevlar helmet.
The horrific incident began as Saturday gave way to Sunday
at the crowded club. Around 2 a.m., Pulse Orlando posted an urgent message on
Facebook: “Everyone get out of pulse and keep running.”
Within minutes of the shooting, police vehicles and a SWAT
team descended on the club, which had more than 300 people inside as the
shooting began.
“I was there,” Ricardo J. Negron posted on the club’s
Facebook page several hours later. “Shooter opened fire @ around 2:00am. People
on the dance floor and bar got down on the floor and some of us who were near
the bar and back exit managed to go out through the outdoor area and just ran.
I am safely home and hoping everyone gets home safely as well.”
An officer working at the club exchanged fire with the
gunman, authorities said. It was then, according to police, that the incident
developed into “a hostage situation.”
Authorities said the man was armed with an “suspicious
device,” in addition to his guns, Mina, the police chief, told reporters.
About three hours after the initial reports of gunfire, the
SWAT team launched a rescue operation and killed the gunman, authorities said.
“The decision was made to rescue hostages that were in
there,” Mina said.
Police later reported that a sound heard at the club was a
“controlled explosion.”
Jon Alamo told the Associated Press that he was near the
back of the club when the gunman appeared near the front of the building.
“I heard 20, 40, 50 shots,” Alamo said. “The music stopped.”
Rob Rick said the violence erupted as the night was winding
down.
“Everybody was drinking their last sip,” he said.
Rick told the AP that he estimated more than 100 people were
still inside when the shooting began. He hit the ground and crawled toward a DJ
booth, he said. Some people managed to escape out of the back of the club after
a bouncer knocked down a partition between the club area and a restricted area
leading to an exit, he noted.
Mina Justice told the AP that her son, Eddie, texted her
when the rampage began and asked her to call police.
From the AP:
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,'”
she said. “That was the last conversation.”
The early-Sunday rampage followed the fatal shooting Friday
night of a pop singer who was killed while signing autographs following a
performance at an Orlando concert venue. Christina Grimmie, a 22-year-old
singer who was a finalist on NBC’s show “The Voice,” died hours after being
shot by a gunman who then shot himself, police said.
-Washington Post-
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