Umptety shooting in usa. Orlando case

[madd0ct0r]

Target was a gsy nightclub.
42 sent to hospital. Unkown number dead. Police have said gunman had asdault rifle, shotgun and 'device'. No word on motivation.

[Purple]

CNN says 20 dead so far.

[Gandalf]

The Guardian is reporting >20 dead.

I haven't posted it here because it's constantly being updated as more info comes to light, and some of the embedded content won't transfer well.

[Wild Zontargs]

Omar Mateen: Orlando gay club shooter identified by police - US media

Police sources have identified the gunman in the mass shooting at a gay club in Florida as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, an American citizen whose parents are from Afghanistan, according to US media reports.

Authorities in Orlando said they were investigating the shooting, which killed at least 20 people and wounded 42 others, as an act of terrorism.

The gunman was killed in a shootout with armed officers at around 5am on Sunday morning, US time. He was armed with an assault-type rifle, a handgun and some sort of "suspicious device", police said.

Orlando police chief John Mina said the suspect exchanged gunfire with an officer working at the Pulse club at around 2am, before going inside and taking hostages among the more than 300 people at the club.

Police have not determined an exact number of casualties, but Mina said "approximately 20" bodies were inside the club.

CBS News identified the suspect as Mateen, a US citizen with no apparent criminal record, according to law enforcement sources. ABC News reported he was on the police "radar", though not subject to an investigation.

And according to The Washington Post, relatives helped officials identify Mateen as the shooter. He lived in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Ron Hopper, the FBI agent in charge of the operation, when asked if the gunman had a connection to radical Islamic terrorism, Hopper said authorities "have suggestions that individual has leanings towards that".

"This is an incident, as I see it, that we certainly classify as domestic terror incident," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said.

Barack Obama was briefed on the attack and has asked for regular updates on the investigation, the White House said.

Pulse posted on its own Facebook page around 2 a.m.: "Everyone get out of pulse and keep running." Just before 6 a.m., the club posted an update: "As soon as we have any information, we will update everyone. Please keep everyone in your prayers as we work through this tragic event. Thank you for your thoughts and love."

Local, state and federal agencies are all involved in the investigation.

[Wild Zontargs]

From the press conference: now 50 dead, 53 injured; Orlando has declared a state of emergency.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

Was the shooter a homophobe? ATM it's too soon to say why he picked that target- or whether it being a gay club was incidental.

[Gandalf]

The death toll is now revised upwards to 50.

[Wild Zontargs]

Was the shooter a homophobe? ATM it's too soon to say why he picked that target- or whether it being a gay club was incidental.

Well, the FBI says they have suggestions that the shooter has leanings towards radical Islamic ideology, so...

[Temjin]

Was the shooter a homophobe? ATM it's too soon to say why he picked that target- or whether it being a gay club was incidental.

Apparently the shooter's father released a statement saying that religion had nothing to do with this attack, and that the shooter was angry because he saw two men kissing each other in front of his wife and kids.

Trying to find a link to it on a respectable news site, but can't yet.

{edit}Here we go: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/orland ... er-n590496

Massacre
Jun 12 2016, 11:09 am ET
Terror? Hate? What Motivated Orlando Nightclub Shooter?

by Tracy Connor and Erik Ortiz
[Orlando club shooter's father: 'We apologize to everyone']
Orlando club shooter's father: 'We apologize to everyone' 1:08

While no one may ever know what was truly going through the head of the man who shot over 100 people at a gay Orlando nightclub on Sunday, his family says he may have been motivated by pure hate against the LGBT community.

Various law-enforcement officials have identified the shooter as Omar Mateen, 29, who was born in New York and lived in Port . St. Lucie, Florida.

Because of his name and heritage, there were immediately questions about Islamic fundamentalism — but his father said it may have been a recent incident involving two men showing each other affection that set the gunman off.

"We were in Downtown Miami, Bayside, people were playing music. And he saw two men kissing each other in front of his wife and kid and he got very angry," Mir Seddique, told NBC News on Sunday. "They were kissing each other and touching each other and he said, 'Look at that. In front of my son they are doing that.' And then we were in the men's bathroom and men were kissing each other.'

Photos: Gunman Opens Fire at Orlando Nightclub

"We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident," said Seddique. "We weren't aware of any action he is taking. We are in shock like the whole country."

Seddique added, "this had nothing to do with religion."

Driving the point home that religion was a consideration in the mind of investigators, at a 10:30 a.m. news conference officials brought members of the Muslim community to speak.

Police did not explicitly say Mateen was Muslim, but Islamic groups put out statements condemning the carnage.

"We condemn this monstrous attack and offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of all those killed or injured. The Muslim community joins our fellow Americans in repudiating anyone or any group that would claim to justify or excuse such an appalling act of violence," the Council on American-Islamic Relations Orlando Regional Coordinator Rasha Mubarak said in a statement

Seddique said Mateen was a husband and father to a 3-year-old son. He was born in New York and lived in Port St. Lucie, less than two hours south of Orlando.

He worked a security job and attended Indian River State College, his father added. He said Marteen has an associates degree in criminal justice.

"We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident," Seddique said. "We weren't aware of any action he is taking. We are in shock like the whole country."

[Channel72]

Holy shit... this is fucking horrible.

You know... I just... can't believe this actually keeps happening. What the fuck?

All right. Since we really have to cynically discuss how this event will be politically exploited, it seems like this is really a political minefield. Republicans are always eager to exploit Muslim-related terror events like this to promote their narrative (even if the shooters religion is incidental), except in this case the victims are gay ... so ... I don't think the GOP wants to drum up too much sympathy for the LGBT community.

[Wild Zontargs]

Some tidbits from the live news feed over on Reddit:

The shooter, who worked in security, according to the family, had active security officer and firearms licenses, records show.

Because of his name and heritage, there were immediate questions about Mateen's possible ties to Islamic fundamentalism

CNN: Shooter known to FBI. No indication he was plotting attack. One of hundreds suspected of being ISIS sympathizers on the FBI's radar.

U.S. Senator Nelson tells reporters that he has heard that there is "some connection to ISIS" in relation to the shooting

He says this information is from Intelligence Committee staff

[Wild Zontargs]

More:

Rep. Adam Schiff ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said he was briefed Sunday and told that local law enforcement officials said the gunman had “declared his allegiance to ISIS.”

A U.S. official said that Department of Homeland Security reports being circulated to government authorities are “referring to local law enforcement reports saying the shooter pledged loyalty to ISIS and was heard praying in another language in the nightclub.”

[General Zod]

How do you hear praying in a nightclub over the music and screams?

[MKSheppard]

Rumors are that Omar had a Class G License from florida:

https://licensing.freshfromflorida.com/ ... IND_DETAIL

Class G is licensed armed security guard

But who knows, as apparently from looking at Facebook, his name is very common.

[madd0ct0r]

How do you hear praying in a nightclub over the music and screams?

Perhaps this was a previous occasion? Maybe he visted the club often, seeking to save mens souls with urgent, one handed, dedication.

[MKSheppard]

Here's a bulletpoint of what we know as of 1 PM Eastern:

50 killed/53 injured, many in ICU. 1 Officer injured -- shot in head, helmet saved him by blocking bullet.

Shitstain was born in New York, US Citizen; Parents from Afghanistan. Florida-Licensed Armed Security guard (D and G licenses)

Drove 125 miles to hit that particular nightclub. Timed attack for when it was about to close. Approximately 320 people inside.

Engaged by off duty officer when it started, no word on that officer.

3 hours between the attack and SWAT going in due to, it was thought, suicide vest/explosives.

Was investigated twice by the FBI with regards to possible islamist ties; nothing actionable at the time (2013/2014).

Pledged support to ISIS prior to attack. Bragged about ties to islamist groups on social media.

etc.

[MKSheppard]

How do you hear praying in a nightclub over the music and screams?

Well according to NBC, "[REDACTED] dialed 911 before starting to shoot and pledged his allegiance to ISIS".

Second, there was a 2-3~ hour standoff between SWAT and the shitstain following initial contact; before they put him down. So they'd be in a position to hear the praying.

[The Romulan Republic]

What a hideous story.

But beyond the initial horror of the attack itself, what I'm dreading is how this will be exploited to fuel xenophobia, authoritarianism, and militarism. That can, directly or indirectly, end up destroying far more than even the attack itself, as we saw after 911. Make no mistake- fascism and xenophobia in America gained major ground today. Of course, that should in no way overshadow how terrible the attack itself is. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims.

[The Romulan Republic]

Anti-gay Lt. Governor of Texas Dan Patrick posts Bible verse reading "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" shortly after the shooting. Then takes it down like a coward.

http://www.people.com/article/texas-dan ... o-shooting

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has faced a social media backlash for what some perceive as anti-gay commentary after Sunday's mass shooting at a popular Orlando, Florida, gay nightclub.

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows," Patrick tweeted Sunday morning, quoting the Bible, hours after a mass shooting at Orlando's Pulse which left at least 50 people dead and 53 injured. Officials have called the attack the deadliest mass shooting in American history.

Patrick posted the same verse to his Facebook page soon after. Both posts were deleted before noon.

It was not immediately clear if Patrick was commenting on the Orlando shooting. Representatives from his office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.



Many users on both platforms read Patrick's quotation as anti-gay, as that verse (and the one succeeding it) have frequently been quoted as evidence of Christianity's intolerance of gays.

"You're such a poor example of Texas, and of Christianity. May those affected my this morning's violence be protected from the thoughtless words of idiots like you," one Facebook user commented on Patrick's post.

Another wrote, "What a horrific post. Disgusting. But then, I guess you failed to remember that the entire book of Galatians was written to the CHURCH, and that Paul's anger was to the bigotry and selfishness within the Christian church at Galatians. In other words – he was talking about people like you.

• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

On Twitter, businessman and sometimes Shark Tank guest Chris Sacca responded, "You pervert Christianity in a way that would make Jesus cringe. Where is your compassion?"



Patrick, a Republican, opposed gay marriage and has spoken out against the White House's requirement that students be allowed to use the school bathroom that matches their gender identity.

Authorities do yet know a motive for the shooting, and an FBI spokesperson said Sunday morning that this is an ongoing investigation and wouldn't classify it as a terror or hate crime.

The father of the reported suspect told NBC News that it "has nothing to do with religion," and instead pointed toward his son's recent anger at seeing two men kissing.

[Channel72]

What a hideous story.

But beyond the initial horror of the attack itself, what I'm dreading is how this will be exploited to fuel xenophobia, authoritarianism, and militarism. That can, directly or indirectly, end up destroying far more than even the attack itself, as we saw after 911. Make no mistake- fascism and xenophobia in America gained major ground today. Of course, that should in no way overshadow how terrible the attack itself is. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims.

Expect a spike in polls favoring Trump. Then expect the event to be mostly forgotten in 3 to 5 weeks.

[Tanasinn]

Multiple sources now are reporting that he did indeed call 911 to pledge allegiance to ISIS, and I've also heard reports that he was under investigation circa 2013 for being a potential Islamist radical.

[Channel72]

Anti-gay Lt. Governor of Texas Dan Patrick posts Bible verse reading "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" shortly after the shooting. Then takes it down like a coward.

http://www.people.com/article/texas-dan ... o-shooting

Poor Dan Patrick. He must be so confused. It's like, he wants to relish in the vindication of seeing gay people getting slaughtered, but he doesn't want to give any congratulations to radical Jihadists. It must be so frustrating and confusing to be an anti-gay, anti-Muslim asshole right now.

[The Romulan Republic]

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Authorities in Santa Monica found possible explosives as well as weapons and ammunition Sunday in the car of a man who told them he was in town for the L.A. Pride festival in West Hollywood, a law enforcement source said.

Early Sunday, Santa Monica police received a call of a suspected prowler near Olympic Boulevard and 11th Street. Patrol officers responded and encountered an individual who told officers he was waiting for a friend. That led officers to inspect the car and find several weapons and a lot of ammunition as well as tannerite, an ingredient that could be used to create a pipe bomb.

The car had Indiana plates. The man, was was arrested, made comments that he was in town for the Pride event in West Hollywood this weekend. The source said they believed there was no connection between the gay nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., early Sunday morning and the Santa Monica incident. The investigation has been taken over by the FBI. The source said the man appeared to be white.

Authorities said the arrest occurred at 5 a.m. The suspect told authorities he was looking for a friend at the festival, said acting L.A. County Undersheriff Neal Tyler. The suspect is being questioned and authorities were trying to find the person he said he was looking for, he said.

Orlando nightclub shooting live updates: Attacker who killed 50 may have been inspired by Islamic State, official says
Orlando nightclub shooting live updates: Attacker who killed 50 may have been inspired by Islamic State, official says
Santa Monica Police spokesman Saul Rodriguez confirmed that the suspect was from Indiana and that weapons were found in the car, but added that police “were not aware of what the suspect’s intentions were at this point.”

Neighbors called police after he was spotted knocking on doors and “loitering in the area,” Rodriguez said.

Santa Monica Police were searching the suspect’s White Acura on Sunday morning near the intersection of 11th Street and Michigan Street where the arrest was made. All four of the car’s doors were open, and a drab green blanket, red gasoline canister and sever other smaller items were being piled on the sidewalk next to it.

A city official in West Hollywood also confirmed the arrest and stressed that officials were beefing up security at the gay pride event.

"They found him with weapons that were very disconcerting," said the source, adding officials are "taking the appropriate safety precautions."

The parade comes hours after the attack at the Orlando club that killed 50 people. At least 53 were injured in the deadliest shooting in modern American history after a gunman took hostages. The gunman has been identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, a U.S. law enforcement official said.

One source in West Hollywood said there was discussion of calling off the parade but that officials decided to go forward, with heavy security including undercover officers in the crowd.

The sources spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

West Hollywood City Councilwoman Lindsey Horvath said in a statement that Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials are stepping up security efforts around Sunday’s parade and other festivities. But she said officials do not believe there is any threat around Sunday’s activities.

“We are hearing absolutely devastating news reports from Orlando this morning,” she said. “Gun violence on the LGBTQ family during Pride Month makes me sick. The deadliest mass shooting in America happened to LGBTQ people on Latin night. While we mourn this heartbreaking loss, we must also rededicate ourselves to the fight for full equality for all people. No one is equal unless everyone is equal.”

A reporter for ProPublica tweeted out a Sheriff’s Department bulletin detailing the arrest.

Times staff writers Zahira Torres and Frank Shyong contributed to this report.

No information on the identity or motives of this individual yet, except that they were apparently white (and had Indiana plates) and claimed that they were going to a pride parade with a bunch of weapons.

Thankfully, they were detained.

I know a lot of people will likely think this is related to the Orlando attack, but I wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be unrelated Right wing domestic terrorism, or even just a random nut.

Well, I imagine we'll find out soon enough.

Also, my compliments to the people holding this event for having the guts to go through with it rather than cancel it after everything that's just happened.

Edits: Fixed link.

Edit: I have checked and double checked the link repeatedly. No idea why it isn't working. My apologies. I'll go find another one.

[The Romulan Republic]

It is unclear if a connection exists between the Orlando shooter and the man arrested by Santa Monica police.
Santa Monica police arrested a man who had explosives, assault rifles and ammunition and was planning to attend L.A. pride, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Sunday morning during a press conference.

Police were called about the man who was in the area of Olympic Boulevard and 11th Street by a concerned citizen, Garcetti said. He told police he was waiting in the area for a friend.

"The suspect was arrested Saturday night," Garcetti said.

Photos from the scene posted to social media by a reporter shows items from the suspect's car placed on the ground by police.

READ MORE L.A. Pride Responds to Orlando Massacre With Heightened Security, Moment of Silence
"Police, suspicions of the man, checked his car and that is when they found the weapons and explosives," Garcetti said. The suspect told police he was in town for the pride event in West Hollywood this weekend.

"I want everyone here today to know, we are safe, we are protected, our law enforcement officials are here," Garcetti said.

Santa Monica police would not comment on the matter.

This news comes hours after the worst mass shooting in an Orlando, Fla. night club where at least 50 people were fatally shot in a night club. More than 50 people were injured in the shooting. The gunman was killed during a shootout with police.

It is unclear if a connection exists between the Orlando shooter and the man arrested by Santa Monica police.

Edit: Another non-functional link despite my best efforts, and thus deleted.

The source is Hollywood Reporter, if you care to go looking for it yourself.

[Wild Zontargs]

Confirmation that Omar was a licensed armed security guard:

Statement from shooting suspect's employer:

"We are shocked and saddened by the tragic event that occurred at the Orlando nightclub. We can confirm that Omar Mateen had been employed with G4S since September 10, 2007. We are cooperating fully with all law enforcement authorities, including the FBI, as they conduct their investigation. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the friends, families and people affected by this unspeakable tragedy."

From Monica Lewman-Garcia, spokeswoman for G4S Secure Solutions -- North America

Not sure "MOAR GUN CONTROLS" would have helped here.