Quote:A gunman shot dead about 20 people and injured 42 others in a crowded gay nightclub in Florida early on Sunday before being killed by police in what U.S. authorities described as a "domestic terrorism incident". A police officer working as a security guard inside the Pulse club exchanged fire with the suspect at about 2 a.m., police officials said. A hostage situation quickly developed before a squad of officers entered the club and shot dead the gunman. It was unclear when the victims were shot by the gunman.


"At ... 0500 hours this morning, the decision was made to rescue hostages that were in there. Our officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect. The suspect is dead," Orlando Police Chief John Mina told a press conference. At least one officer was injured in the gunbattle but the police action saved at least 30 lives, Mina said. The suspect was carrying an assault-type rifle and a handgun as well as an unidentified "device" on him, Mina said. Police did not immediately name the gunman or provide a possible motive for the attack but officials have classified the rampage as a "domestic terrorism incident," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said.


Javer Antonetti, 53, told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper that he was near the back of the dance club when he heard gunfire. "There were so many (shots), at least 40," he said. "I saw two guys and it was constant, like 'pow, pow, pow,'." Police said they had carried out a "controlled explosion" at the club hours after the shooting broke out, but did not explain why that was done.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud in New York and Mary Milliken in Los Angeles; writing by Frank McGurty; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Quote: CNN saying shooter pledged to ISIS

Drew Phipps Wrote:

Quote: CNN saying shooter pledged to ISIS

Complete horse manure. What sort of terrorist calls 911 in advance from the place he's planning to attack and declares allegiance to Daesh? (Probably in English, too.) This is just a pissed off guy trying to legitimize his homicidal urges and to make sure enough cops showed up to kill him.

Obama will address the situation in 10 minutes. First view of official story.

Edit: CNN is reporting that the shooter was employed as "security personnel" for a "government contractor."

Quote:Omar Mateen, Terrorist Who Attacked Orlando Gay Club, Had Been Investigated by FBI

Mateen was a known quantity' to federal law enforcement before he killed at least 50 people in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
Omar Mateen of Port Saint Lucie, Florida, came to the attention of federal authorities twice prior to being identified as the gunman in the Orlando gay nightclub mass shooting, a senior law enforcement source told The Daily Beast.

Mateen killed 53 people and shot more than 100 in total at the Pulse gay nightclub early Sunday morning, in the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.

The senior law enforcement source reports that Mateen became a person of interest in 2013 and again in 2014. The Federal Bureau of Investigation at one point opened an investigation into Mateen but subsequently closed the case when it produced nothing that appeared to warrant further investigation.

"He's a known quantity," the source said. "He's been on the radar before."

The senior law enforcement source told The Daily Beast that Mateen was born in New York and was married for a time to a woman from New Jersey.

That woman told the Washington Post that he repeatedly abused her during their marraige, which lasted from April 2009 to July 2011.
"He was not a stable person," the ex-wife said. "He beat me. He would just come home and start beating me up because the laundry wasn't finished or something like that."

Mateen's parents are from Afghanistan but he was not very religious, she said, adding that he "seemed like a normal human being."

Mateen's father Mir Seddique told NBC News that the sight of two men kissing angered his son.
"We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident," the father added. "We weren't aware of any action he is taking. We are in shock like the whole country."

The attack, he said, "has nothing to do with religion." However, Pete Williams of NBC News reported that Mateen called 911 and swore his allegiance to al-Baghdadi of ISIS before the shooting massacre.

FBI Agent Ron Hopper told reporters Mateen may have had leanings toward Islamic extremism. The law enforcement source told The Daily Beast there is no immediate indication that Mateen had any direct connection to ISIS. Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Mateen had pledged allegiance to ISIS, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security.
ISIS recently declared online that its followers should mount attacks to mark the approach of the holy month of Ramadan.

The message came in an audio recording from spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, released in May. Muslims around the world fast during Ramadan in honor of the first revelation from God to Muhammad. The terrorist group believes it to be a particularly opportune time for attacks.
"Ramadan, the month of conquest and jihad. Get prepared, be ready...to make it a month of calamity everywhere for the non-believers...especially for the fighters and supporters of the caliphate in Europe and America," Adnani said.

Mateen had a valid firearms license in Florida and worked as a security guard at a facility for juvenile deliquents.

Armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and a handgun, Mateen enteredPulse club around 2 a.m. Sunday morning and began shooting. After most of the 320 people there escaped, Mateen took hostages from a group that was hiding in a bathroom. Shortly before 6 a.m., a SWAT unit breached the club and engaged Mateen in what's being called a protracted gun battle. Mateen was killed.