Thread: 50 killed in shooting at Florida nightclub in possible act of Islamic terror

50 killed in shooting at Florida nightclub in possible act of Islamic terror

Published June 12, 2016 FoxNews.com

June 12, 2016: Orlando Police officers direct family members away from a multiple shooting at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (AP)


A gunman who federal authorities say had possible ties to terrorism opened fire early Sunday morning in a packed Orlando nightclub, killing 50 people and wounding at least 53 more in a bloody scene that ended hours later when police stormed the building and killed the shooter.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer asked Gov. Rick Scott to declare a state of emergency following the attack.

The gunman was identified as Omar Mateen, Rep. Alan Grayson said during a Sunday morning press conference. Mateen was a U.S. citizen, Grayson said, though that was "not true of other family members of his." Mateen, 29, lived in Fort Pierce, Fla. He was born in the U.S. to parents of Afghan origin and was a Muslim, Fox News confirmed.

Authorities were going through Mateen's belongings on Sunday morning trying to identify a motive for the attack, Grayson said.

"More likely than not, that it was an ideologically motivated attack," Grayson said, though he said it was unclear if Mateen was linked to any terror groups.

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ELIAS @wtfelias

WARNING: Graphic. video of victims outside pulse in orlando right now. terrifying. #PulseOrlando #PulseShooting
12:39 AM - 12 Jun 2016

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"It's not coincidence the attack took place where it did and when it did," Grayson said.
Orlando Regional Medical Center called in six trauma surgeons, including a pediatric surgeon, as victims poured in, Dr. Michael Cheatham said. Many of the wounded were "critically ill" due to their injuries, Cheatham said, and the hospital was trying to reach out to their families.

The shooting in Orlando at Pulse, which bills itself as "the hottest gay bar" in the city and was packed with more than 300 people for "Latin Night," was reported minutes after 2 a.m. Sunday. In addition to those killed inside the club, at least 53 people were taken to area hospitals. Dozens of partygoers remained hostages in the club for several hours after the initial shooting, prompting SWAT teams to rush inside. Shortly after 6 a.m. local time, Orlando police tweeted that the gunman had been killed.

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Juan Rivera @InfamousJuan_

Thank youu i jumped out theres people still hiding inside the closets that the shooters dont know theyre in there https://twitter.com/marcymeeee/status/741896455032438787 …
12:35 AM - 12 Jun 2016

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Authorities said there was not believed to be any further threat to the area.

The shooter was "trained in the use of weapons," Rep. Peter King told Fox News, though King didn't elaborate on what type of training that entailed.

The gunman “may have leanings” toward radical Islam, FBI Special Agent in Charge Ron Hopper said when asked by Fox News whether the suspect had ties to Jihadist terror groups. Hopper said the investigation was looking into possible threats made previously by the suspect in connection to radical Islam groups.

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Rav Vadgama
✔@TVRav

UPDATE: Chilling text exchange between mother and son. His condition is not yet know #Pulse
5:17 AM - 12 Jun 2016

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“There are allegations the individual made threats in the past to having ties to terrorist organizations,” Hopper told Fox News.

"At this time we're looking at all angles right now," Hopper said. "We do have suggestions that that individual may have leanings toward [radical Islam], that particular ideology. But right now we can’t say definitively so we’re still running everything around.”

The incident “is being investigated as an act of terrorism,” said Danny Banks, special agent in charge at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Banks said the shooter was armed with an “assault-type rifle” and a handgun.

Chief John Mina of the Orlando Police Department said officers were initially engaged in a gun battle outside the club before the suspect went back into the building, where more shots were fired. He said the gunman then took several hostages.

Officials said Mateen had some communication with police during this standoff, though they did not reveal what was said.


"It appears he was organized and well-prepared," Mina said.

At least 9 officers were involved in raiding the nightclub, and one officer was injured, according to Banks. The injured officer was hit by a bullet and his Kevlar helmet saved his life, Banks said.

View image on Twitter

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Orlando Police
✔@OrlandoPolice

Pulse shooting: In hail of gunfire in which suspect was killed, OPD officer was hit. Kevlar helmet saved his life.
8:05 AM - 12 Jun 2016 · Orlando, FL, United States

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A hotline for victims' families was set up at 407-246-4357.

Witnesses in the club reported mass chaos after hearing several shots ring out inside the nightclub.

Pulse posted on its own Facebook page around 2 a.m.: "Everyone get out of pulse and keep running."

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Sam Jordan @Sam_Jordan80

DJ inside Pulse Nightclub describes shooting. #PrayForOrlando#PulseNightclub #PulseNightclubShooting
6:10 AM - 12 Jun 2016

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Mina Justice was outside the club early Sunday 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,'" she said. "That was the last conversation."

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 it happened around 2 a.m., 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 started hearing gunshots. He continued to hear shooting even after he emerged, where police were telling people to back away from the club. He saw injured people being tended to across the street.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/06/12...l?intcmp=hpbt1

BREAKING NEWS
50 dead in Orlando; deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history

Gunman was private security guard

BREAKING NEWS: 50 MURDERED, 53 WOUNDED IN POSSIBLE ACT OF ISLAMIC TERROR IN ORLANDO GAY CLUB; GUNMAN KILLED BY COPS

Shooter ID'd as Omar Mateen, 29, a US citizen with Afghan ties

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Shooter ID'd as Omar Mateen, 29, a US citizen with Afghan ties

It's Afghan PARENTS who have been in our country for over 30 years and never became US citizens.

We need to do away with the "green card" and "legal permanent residence". That's bull crap and I've always thought so. We don't want or need nor can we afford foreign nationals living in our country for lifetimes, breeding "citizens", and never wanting to become part of our nation.

I'm telling you, we must pass an immediate 10 to 20 Year Moratorium on All Immigration, and we need it immediately, to prevent the totally and completely insane notion that we need to import workers, welfare recipients, "diversity", mouths to feed, breeders, terrorists, and people not of US.

This shooter is a hater, a racist, a bigot, a homophobe, a terrorist, a traitor and low-life pond-scum garbage who should have never been in our country to begin with. Why are his parents in our country? Why aren't they in their new free Afghanistan? What possible need would we have for tribal Afghans in the United States?!

Wake Up People. You're importing your own death warrants.

Blood donors needed after mass shooting in Orlando
Orlando Sentinel‎ - 1 hour ago

@ Judy...not only that but now WE are being forced to pay for their TB, Zika babies and diseases out of OUR own pockets. We cannot afford the astronomical health care payments for ourselves and throwing our Veteran's under the bus!

STOP THIS DISGUSTING MADNESS NOW!

No refugees, no asylum, no anchor baby, illegal minors, no illegal migrants, no more Student Visa's, no Cuban's!

Pay down our massive debt...get our health care costs down and get OUR jobs back and legal citizens to work. Rebuild OUR infrastructure...NOT the rest of the world.

How do the "religion of peace" muslim lovers like their muslims now?

Same with EU - born in their country to muslim immigrants and they are jihadists, dangerous terrorists. Germany let back in 500 returning from fighting as isis soldiers - WHAT!

All this will be coming to USA with the surge of "refugees" which are in reality "economic migrants". Send them back to a safe zone and be done with them to follow their own brand of hatred, mistreatment of women & violence.

But that does not fit the agenda of making US a muslim country as they have arranged in the EU.

judy
I alway said they should not have the green card .

You are right, southBronx! Where did this green card come from anyway? We need to do away with that piece of trouble. Very easy to do, just pass a simple law that saw there will be no more permanent resident permits issues in the United States, then Congress will no longer be admitting over 1,300,000 of these people every single year. Where do they go? Where do they work? Where do they live? We don't have that much new housing or jobs every year. It's INSANITY.