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On June 12, 2016, 49 people were killed and dozens were wounded in a shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. That mass shooting has now been surpassed by the number of victims in a Las Vegas Boulevard shooting, where at least 59 people were killed and over 500 injured overnight during a music festival being held on the strip of Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 2.
The gunman in Orlando was identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, 29, of Port St. Lucie, Florida. Mateen entered the club with an “assault-type” rifle, a handgun and a “device” after engaging in a shootout with officers working off-duty outside Pulse, authorities said at a press conference when the tragedy occurred.
Mateen called 911 just before the shooting and pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, NBC News reported.
ISIS issued a statement calling Mateen an “Islamic state fighter.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Pulse Nightclub Is Now the Second Deadliest Mass Shooting In the United States
The nightclub shooting was previously the country’s deadliest mass shooting, and 49 people were killed in the carnage.
Mateen was engaged in a shootout with police outside the night club at about 2 a.m., police said at a press conference. Mateen then entered the night club and took hostages. The nightclub was at full capacity when the shooting began.
The number of deaths that took place at Pulse Nightclub was surpassed in the early morning hours of Monday, October 2 when a suspected lone gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 200 at the Route 91 music festival near the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino located on the Las Vegas Boulevard.
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The 64-year-old suspect in Nevada was firing from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel at the festival. Officers responded to that hotel room and engaged the suspect, killing him. They do not believe at this time that there were any other shooters, despite reports of multiple gunmen. Police said they do not have an accurate number of victims yet. Police have not yet released a motive, but said they do not believe it is terrorism “at this point.”
Read moire on Paddock below:
2. The Gunman Barricaded Himself Inside with Hostages & Was Killed by SWAT
WESH Orlando reported that the gunman barricaded himself inside Pulse with a bomb and proceeded to take hostages. The nightclub was at full capacity when the shooting began.
Police confirmed that Mateen was killed by SWAT.
Police officials said they made the decision to go inside and engage the gunmen because they were being contacted by people who were hiding in the bathroom, wounded. They rescued 30 people who were inside the club with the gunman.
3. Mateen Called 911 & Pledged His Allegiance to the ISIS Leader
Mateen called 911 just before the shooting and pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, NBC News reported.
He also mentioned the Tsarnaev brothers, who carried out the Boston Marathon bombing, during the call, according to CBS.
ISIS issued a statement calling Mateen an “Islamic state fighter.”
Mateen’s father told MSNBC that the shooting was not about his son’s religion, but that his son became very angry after seeing two men kissing in Miami months ago. He said “we are apologizing for the whole incident.”
4. Mateen’s Father Once Tried to Run for the Afghan Presidency & Supported the Taliban
Only hours before the massacre in Orlando, Mateen’s father, Mir Seddique posted a video called Provisional Government of Afghanistan on a Facebook page. It appears that he is pretending to be the president of Afghanistan, and orders the arrest of multiple Afghan political figures.
Dressed in army attire, he stated:
I order national army, national police and intelligence department to immediately imprison Karzai, Ashraf Ghani, Zalmay Khalilzad, Atmar, and Sayyaf. They are against our countrymen, and against our homeland.
In a Youtube video, which can be viewed above, Seddique declares his candidacy for the Afghan presidency. However, the video came a year after Afghanistan presidential elctions were held, which raises questions. In the video he goes back and forth between topics and even seems incoherent at times. Seddique uses the Dari language, and not Pashto, the language of Pushtuns, which adds another element of mystery to the video.
In the video below, Seddique says he does not believe his son is “whatever you call it,” meaning gay. Homosexuality is very much against his religion, and what he says about it could greatly impact his hopes to become the next President of Afghanistan.
5. Orlando Police Issued a Statement of Condolences to Those Affected by the Las Vegas Mass Shooting
Orlando police tweeted a statement from Chief John Mina to the Las Vegas mass shooting. “We are thinking of all of those affected by the horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas. This community, and the men and women of OPD, know all too well the anguish that is gripping the residents, visitors and law enforcement community in Las Vegas.”
The statement continued:
We grieve with the people of Las Vegas, and stand firmly with our brothers and sisters in law enforcement who are dealing with this tragedy. Our condolences and prayers go out to the families of all those affected, and we grieve with LVMPD, who lost an off-duty officer who was attending the concert and was shot and killed.