US mass shootings: Kissing men irked suspect

Omar Mateen’s parents were born in Afghanistan, and he was “on the radar” of U.S. officials for some time, but was not the target of a specific investigation, law enforcement officials told the media. His father, Mir Seddique, told NBC News that his son may have become angry after seeing “two men kiss in Miami” several months ago.

“We are saying we are apologising for the whole incident. We weren’t aware of any action he is taking. We are in shock like the whole country,” Seddique told reporters who called his home. At a press conference, authorities declined to reveal any details of their investigation into Mateen’s background. But officials said the gunman didn’t have a criminal record and that supposed ties to radical Islam were being investigated. Other reports claim

Also, according to the state’s publicly available database of concealed carry licenses, Mateen held two different licenses. According to Gawker, one does not need a license to own a gun in Florida but only to carry it. Meanwhile, Islamic State sympathisers, through their various accounts on Twitter sent out messages in support of Mateen. The accounts also tweeted anti-gay messages.

The shooting at the Orlando night club began around 2 a.m. and a police officer who was working at the club was the first to respond. The off duty cop engaged in a shootout outside the club, after which the gunman ran into the club. “That turned into a hostage situation,” one of the eyewitnesses said.

At around 5am authorities sent in a SWAT team to rescue the hostages. Nine hero officers used a ‘controlled explosion’ to distract the shooter before fatally shooting him and were able to rescue about 30 hostages who were hiding in the bathroom of the club. During the exchange of gunfire, an officer was shot, but he was saved by his helmet.

It was thought that at least one hostage had been locked in a bathroom with gunshot wounds. Mayor Buddy Dyer said in a press conference: ‘Many were saved by the heroic efforts of the men and women of the OPD, the Orange County Sheriffs, Seminal County Sheriff’s office.’ Fatriana Evans frequents the Pulse nightclub and was outside when shots were fired. Evans says, “It sounded like fireworks - pop, pop, pop - and then everybody scatters.”

The Pulse club calls itself “Orlando’s hottest gay bar”. On its Facebook page, the club warned patrons: “Everyone get out Pulse and keep running. Blood everywhere.” Jackie Smith was inside the club and says two friends next to her were shot. She says she hasn’t gotten updates on their conditions. She came out of the hospital and burst into tears in the arms of friends.

She says: “Some guy walked in and started shooting everybody. He had an automatic rifle, so nobody stood a chance. I just tried to get out of there.” Police say Mateen used an AR-15-type assault rifle on all the victims. Officials said the shooter used the assault rifle, with unknown rounds, and also had a handgun. Police at the scene also say they have securing the suspect’s vehicle, a van, right outside the club.

Massacres in US history

Sunday’s mass shooting in Orlando, Florida is the worst in United States history. But the country is not new to mindless violence. Here are 10 others.

April 16, 2007: Virginia Tech massacre. A gunman, 23-year-old student Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people across two locations. Cho then committed suicide.

December 14, 2012: Sandy Hook Elementary School, Connecticut. Adam Lanza, 20, guns down 20 children and six adults before turning the gun on himself.

October 16, 1991: In Killeen, Texas, 35-year-old George Hennard exits his crashed car and shoots and kills 23 people. He then kills himself.

July 18, 1984: In San Ysidro, California, James Huberty, 41, armed with an Uzi, shoots and kills 21 adults and children at a local McDonalds.

Aug 1, 1966: In Austin, Texas, former soldier Charles Joseph Whitman kills
16 while shooting from a high tower. Whitman had killed his mother and wife earlier in the day.

Dec 2, 2015: Married couple Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik
open fire at an employee meeting in San Bernardino, killing 14 people.

April 1999: Columbine High School, Colorado. Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, kill 12 fellow students and one teacher before committing suicide.

July 20, 2012: Twelve people are killed and 58 wounded in a shooting at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater screening of the new Batman film. James E. Holmes, 24, (pictured) is taken into custody outside of the movie theater.

October 1, 2015: Gunman Christopher Sean Harper-Mercer shoot and kills nine people at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Cops kill the shooter in a gun battle.

March 21, 2005: Red Lake High School, Minnesota. Jeff Weise, 16, kills his grandfather, another adult, five students, a teacher and a guard. He then kills himself.