Monday, June 13, 2016

50 KILLED, 53 INJURED IN US TERROR ATTACK

50 killed, 53 injured in US terror attack  A gay nightclub here was the scene early Sunday of the worst terror attack in U.S. histo­ry since 9/11 as 50 people were killed inside the Pulse club and at least 53 people were injured, police say. The gunman was Omar Mateen of Ft. Pierce, Flor­ida, a law enforcement source told CNN. Orlan­do police shot and killed Mateen. “It appears he was or­ganized and well-pre­pared,” Orlando Police Chief John Mina said ear­ly Sunday. The shooter had an assault-type weapon, a handgun and “some type of (other) device on him.” There has been no claim of responsibility for the at­tack on jihadi forums, but ISIS sympathizers have reacted by praising the at­tack on pro-Islamic State forums. Officials, aided by the FBI, warned that a lengthy investigation was ahead, given the number of vic­tims and the scope of the violence. “There’s blood every­where,” U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson told reporters. “There’s an enormous amount of evidence to be collected.” It’s just shocking,” said Christopher Hansen, who was inside Pulse when he heard gunshots, “just one after another after anoth­er.” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said he had declared a state of emergency for the city and has requested the governor do the same for the state. Before Sunday, the dead­liest shootings in U.S. his­tory were at Virginia Tech in 2007 and Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, with 32 and 27 killed. The shooter has been identified as Omar Sad­diqui Mateen, 29, of Fort Pierce, about 120 miles southeast of Orlando, two law enforcement officials tell CNN. Orlando authorities said they consider the violence an act of domestic terror. The FBI is involved, while investigators are exploring all angles.

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