A gunman who federal authorities say had possible ties to terrorism opened fire early Sunday morning at a packed Florida nightclub, killing approximately 20 people and wounding scores more in a bloody scene that ended hours later when police stormed the building and killed the suspect.
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, was reported minutes after 2 a.m. Sunday. In addition to those killed inside the club, at least 42 people were taken to area hospitals. Dozens of party-goers remained hostages in the club for several hours after the initial shooting, prompting SWAT teams to pour inside. Shortly after 6 a.m. local time, Orlando police tweeted that the gunman had been killed.
The gunman, whose identity was not immediately released, “may have leanings” toward radical Islam, FBI Special Agent in Charge Ron Harper said when asked by Fox News whether the suspect had ties to Jihadist terror groups. Harper said the investigation is looking into possible threats made previously by the suspect in connection to radical Islam groups. He said the agency is still investigating and has yet to confirm any role a terror group may have played in the mass shooting.
“There are allegations the individual made threats in the past to having ties to terrorist organizations,” Harper told Fox News.
“At this time we’re looking at all angles right now,” Harper 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, who added that “around 20” people are believed dead inside the nightclub.
Banks said the suspected shooter – who was armed with an “assault-type rifle” and a handgun — also was dead inside the club, where he was shot and killed at around 5 a.m. in a shootout with SWAT team officers who were called in “to rescue hostages,” Chief John Mina of the Orlando Police Department said.
Mina said officers were 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.
Mi ah watch dem ah tawk bout dis yah now, and dem update seh ah 50 people lose dem life….my God. How one smaddy can cause so much carnage….
50 dead and 53 in hospital bwaay it sad people leave outa dem house and this happen to dem and now him dead so is like u cant even pay him back it sad
Yuh seeit Met, cyaa get fi si no jail/ death penalty, juss nuttin. Them juss leff wid di pain.
Mi juss cyaa undastan di way some people juss fill wid so much hate an violence fi do dem sumin yah. Ah nuh dem put life yasso, but dem feel somehow ah fi dem right fi teck it.
50 dead now muma..good morning
very sad imagine how dem did feel smh..mi nuh business what anyone say…most a dem muslim deh and dem fake religion , it must be something within the religion why some a dem so easy fi tun extremist
Met, as harsh as this might sound, the chicken is coming home to roost. We all should be outraged by what seem like senseless killing. However, we would be remiss if were were not to as–as you intimated–why are so many of these individuals so radicalized?
The ‘Middle East’ as we know it is a Western design and a lot of innocent people from that region died focus to have our way. Some of us in the West are ignorant to what transpired over there and some of us don’t care. Speaking disparagingly about Islam, the Western powers have created havoc in the ‘Middle East’ and over the generations, Arabs and other Muslims became radicalized.
These terrorist did not just wake up one day and started hating the West and its influence, et al. No matter what, we cannot justify or tolerate these killing. We just need to know what’s behind Western resentment. Sometimes, we as a region have to look into what we are doing elsewhere in the world. We can’t also demonize the aggressors without also demonizing the ones who transgressed them.
How di hell him got into the club wid weapons? Back in my clubbing days patting down or wanding was required for all guests.
Met, dem ppl deh a di ongle ppl wah caan come to mi bout dem a preach peace. I will listen to the Buddhist, Hindu, Jew, Poco, Voudon, Native American, anybody else but dem. Dem a di ongle one me nuh trust at all. First ting is an Arab religion, all Arab ppl see blacks as beneath dem, di very word for black in their language is di same word that means slave, so dat tell me weh mi stand already. I have read works from all the other major religions, to dis day I have never taken up one of fi dem book, and never will. Sorry, not sorry.
May the deceased RIP. All the best to their family and loved ones.
Not true, I have two brothers currently living in the Middle East and based on their experience there, they have vowed never to live here in America. Many a Arabs regard them as the indigenous people of the region. It is only when they speak do the Arabs realize that they are not natives…
Good for them. I stand by my original statement, so let us agree to disagree on this one.
Tragic,horrific and senseless.
They gunman should have killed some Dade and Broward county Police officers. The entire state of Florida law enforcement agencies sole purpose is to ruin lives and steal dreams. Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, everyone is tired of what’s going on, so I doubt it was a Muslim.
Now why would you say something like that? Even if what you saying is true, Florida law enforcement officers all have families and seemingly you did not think before you spoke. Imagine Florida without law enforcement?
this is sad it could be anyone of us in a school, a restaurant, in a church, in a movie theater. mass public shooting is senseless and scary, it nuh matter how you feel gays it senseless and horrible, mi thought goes out to the all the victims and their loved ones and to the ppl in the club how will be forever affected by this.
The shooter’s father said that the incident was not about Islam. His son saw two men kissing recently and went mad more so because the young man was out with his wife and little son and the two gay men kissed in front of them. He decided to lash out with senseless violence. They are saying it is Islamic violence because an Islamic man did it. On the other hand, this young man was being watched by the authorities, clearly not being watched enough. R I P to the innocent victims.
The Feds were no longer watching him. Right or wrong, it is religion that taught us that homosexuality that it is wrong. He called 911 and made his ISIS pledge–allegedly–so I don’t know how this is not Islamic fundamentalism.
I have not gone out in years due to these crazy killings. Its really time for us to look up.
Lalibela, were you in my mind to know if I thought about what I wrote? You know what meck ah just :travel
My response is to the father and not you; the father is trying to make it seem as if it is not religion based hatred…
Oh, Anonymous, if this is in response to killing law enforcement officers then, you are wacko…
lalibela, it takes one to know one and I’m not ya mammy.