Omar Matteen called 911 at 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning, pledged allegiance to ISIS, then opened fire in a crowded gay bar, killing at least 50 and wounding 53 more. After a three hour hostage standoff, he was killed by police. The attack is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. On Thursday, ISIS threatened to attack Florida.
From Terror in Orlando: 50 killed in shooting rampage at gay club; gunman pledged allegiance to ISIS – The Washington Post:
The gunman who opened fire inside a crowded nightclub here early Sunday morning, launching a rampage that killed 50 people and injured 53 others in the deadliest shooting spree in the country’s history, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State before the attack, according to U.S. law enforcement officials.
President Obama said the FBI was investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism, an announcement he made about 12 hours after the gunfire began at Pulse, a popular gay bar and dance club.
Police said that after a first round of gunshots at 2 a.m., the shooter took hostages for about three hours, until officers who went inside to rescue these people killed the gunman in a shootout. It was not immediately clear if the death toll included the gunman.
The gunman, identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, apparently made a 911 call before the attack identifying himself and pledging allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State, according to U.S. law enforcement officials who asked not to be identified to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Mateen also made a reference to the 2013 bombing of the Boston Marathon during this call, officials said. Mateen was investigated by the FBI in 2014, but what triggered the probe and its scope were not immediately clear, officials said. The probe was closed the same year.
In a message Sunday, the Islamic State appeared to take credit for the attack, but it remains unclear if the gunman had any connections to the group or if they had any prior knowledge.
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