Most of the victims were men ranging in age from 19 to 50. The authorities say they have identified 48 of the 49 victims.Īs of Monday morning, 33 names have been released. The Pulse attack coincided with Gay Pride month in the United States, with festive marches and events held across the country, including in Orlando last week and into the weekend. The suspect's ex-wife, who divorced him in 2011, told The Washington Post he had been violently abusive to her and was not especially religious. Seddique Mateen recalled a recent incident in downtown Miami when his son became angry after witnessing a gay couple embracing. The suspect's father told NBC News his son may have been motivated by homophobia and not by his Muslim faith. US President Barack Obama called the massacre "an act of terror and an act of hate." It has become a flagship establishment for the LGBT community in Florida and further afield, and forms part of a vibrant activist scene that aims to promote awareness of gay rights. It is not known exactly how many people were inside at the time of the attack, but the club was packed with Saturday night revelers who came to watch a drag queen contest on a special Latin night.Ĭo-founded by a woman whose brother died in 1991 after battling HIV, the nightclub described itself as "more than 'just another gay club.'"īarbara Poma and a friend opened the club in 2004 to keep her brother's spirit alive, naming it in honor of his heartbeat. Pulse is a popular club known on the Orlando LGBT party scene for its drag shows. Police chief John Mina said the authorities made that decision because they feared "further loss of life was imminent" among those still trapped in the venue. Mateen sprayed the club with bullets and took hostages in a three-hour standoff that ended when police stormed the venue.
Law enforcement recovered a handgun, an AR-15 assault rifle and an unknown number of additional rounds from the suspect. The ISIS group claimed responsibility for the attack on Monday, calling Mateen "one of the soldiers of the caliphate." Investigators were still piecing together his motives. Mateen apparently made a 911 call during Sunday's massacre during which he pledged allegiance to the ISIS group, according to the authorities. The FBI said it had previously investigated - and cleared - Mateen for suspected ties to an American suicide bomber and again after he made inflammatory terror-related comments to coworkers. Law enforcement identified the gunman, who died in a shootout with police, as Omar Mateen, 29.Ī US citizen, Mateen was born to Afghan parents living in New York and resided in Port St Lucie, Florida, two hours south of Orlando by car. Update, 11:28 p.m.: Adds comment from Facebook.Forty-nine people were killed and 53 others wounded when a heavily armed gunman opened fire and seized hostages at a popular gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida - the deadliest terror attack on US soil since September 11, 2001. The suit's claims take aim at Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which has traditionally provided some immunity to sites and service providers from actions taken by their users.įirst published December 20, 10:04 a.m.
With mass shootings an increasingly frequent problem in the US, news and video distribution platforms - and their ability to quickly disseminate information - have come under legal pressure to actively limit the ability of violence-inciting groups to attract and inflame supporters. It was the worst mass shooting in US history. "We take swift action to remove this content when it's reported to us."įorty-nine people were killed and dozens more injured June 12 after gunman Omar Mateen, who declared himself to be an Islamic soldier, opened fire inside Pulse, a popular Florida gay bar. "Our Community Standards make clear that there is no place on Facebook for groups that engage in terrorist activity or for content that expresses support for such activity," Facebook said in a statement. Twitter and Google didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Families of the Orlando shooting victims have filed a lawsuit against Twitter, Google and Facebook for failing to limit the reach of the Islamic State group.įiled Monday in the Eastern District of Michigan, the families accuse the tech companies of supplying Islamic State-supporting individuals with the means to "spread extremist propaganda, raise funds, and attract new recruits." The suit was first reported by Fox News.