Mass casualties confirmed in shooting at Orlando gay nightclub; gunman dead inside
Mass casualties confirmed in shooting at Orlando gay nightclub; gunman dead inside
Chris Siron Email digitalaccess@ahbelo.com
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Published: June 12, 2016 2:27 am
http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/file...O_51040751.jpgOrlandop police direct relatives away from the scene of a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., early Sunday. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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This report is being updated.
Multiple victims were shot early Sunday at an Orlando, Fla., gay club. The gunman who was inside the club is dead.
A few minutes later, an Orlando Sentinel reporter said she heard an explosion from the club — but almost immediately police said the sound was a deliberate, controlled detonation by authorities.
Initial witness accounts suggested that at least seven people had been shot at Pulse, which describes itself as Orlando’s premier gay nightclub. June is Gay Pride Month. A WESH-TV reporter has said the assailant may have shot 20 or more people.
Witnesses described a bloody scene in and around the club, with dozens of shots fired.
The violence reportedly erupted about 1 a.m. Dallas time, and dozens of emergency vehicles responded. Officers armed with assault rifles cordoned off numerous blocks around the club.
WESH reporter Stewart Moore said he’d seen at least seven emergency vehicles carrying victims. The New York Daily News quoted a witness who said medical personnel were loading several victims into one ambulance while more wounded people were lying in a parking lot near the club. Another witness said the injured were also being loaded into the backs of pickup trucks.
Police confirmed that there had been mass casualties, and they described the situation as a “fluid scene.” Local authorities were seeking assistance from state and federal law enforcement.
An Orlando newspaper reporter said the gunman inside the club also may have been armed with a bomb. There also were reports that there may have been a second shooter outside the club.
The Orlando Sentinel said a police bomb squad and hazardous material team responded to the emergency. A crisis negotiator also was summoned. Reporter Christal Hayes said authorities seemed to be searching for someone in the area.
One person who said online that he had been at the club when the shooting began reported that he managed to escape because he was near an exit. Other people who were dancing or at the bar tried to take cover by dropping to the floor.
Although the club was preparing to close, more than a hundred people were estimated to still be inside.
One witness told the Orlando Sentinel that the shooting lasted “the duration of an entire song.”
Jon Alamo said he was at the back of one of the club’s rooms when the gunman came into the front of the room.
“I heard 20, 40, 50 shots,” he said. “The music stopped.”
Mina Justice was outside the club trying to contact her 30-year-old son, 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.”
Video of emergency crews helping victims was posted on social media as other victims were being carried or were walking to nearby Orlando Regional Medical Center. But the hospital’s staff had not commented publicly on how many people had been wounded.
Soon after police reported that the gunman had been found dead, the club posted online: “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 Associated Press contributed to this report.
More details to come.
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