The
massacre at an Orlando gay nightclub early this morning has been described as a
"domestic terror incident," with at least 50 dead and 53 injured,
officials said, making it the worst mass shooting in U.S. history and the
deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil since the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
According
to an ABC reporter the shooter has been identified by officials
as Omar Mateen
of St. Lucie County, Florida, a U.S.-born citizen with Afghani parents. After
the shooting began, he called 911 to pledge his allegiance to ISIS, according
to law enforcement officials.
ISIS
supporters have cheered the massacre online and an ISIS communique referred to
the shooter as an ISIS "fighter," but there’s no evidence that ISIS
directed or had prior knowledge of the attack, terrorism observers told ABC
News.
The FBI also
said Mateen "was organized and well-prepared," adding "he is not
from this area."
Mateen's
parents were born in Afghanistan, and he was "on the radar" of U.S.
officials for some time, but was not the target of a specific investigation,
law enforcement officials told ABC News.
A
police officer working at the club exchanged fire with Mateen outside of the
club at 2:02 a.m., officials said at the news conference. Mateen then entered
the club.
It
turned into a hostage situation shortly thereafter, when Mateen took hostages.
He was armed with an assault rifle, handgun and "some kind of device on
him," officials said.
At
approximately 5 a.m., the SWAT team made the decision to rescue the hostages,
officials said. The shooter was killed in a gunfight with those officers.
Eleven Orlando Police officers exchanged gunfire with the shooter, according to
an FBI spokesman.
Orlando
Regional Medical Center, located near the nightclub, said it received
"several gunshot victims," in a statement released at 5 a.m.
The statement read, "Orlando
Regional Medical Center was placed on lockdown around 2:00 a.m. after receiving
several gunshot victims. Only essential workers are being allowed access into
the building. Out of an abundance of caution, Arnold Palmer Hospital and Winnie Palmer Hospital
have also been placed on lockdown."
Later
in the day, President Obama called the Pulse massacre "an act of terror
and an act of hate." He called Mateen "a person filled with
hatred."
The
president also stressed the resilience of the people in his state. "We're
going to do everything we can to help bring the community together," he
said.
All this
happen at United State time hours.
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