UPDATED 1:45 PM ET
Fifty people were killed on Sunday morning in Orlando when a gunman, now identified as Omar Mateen, 29, opened fire at Pulse Nightclub, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Another 53 people were injured.
The Daily Beast has released a photo of Mateen:
https://twitter.com/zaidbenjamin/status/742026801287966720
Here’s what we know so far about the suspected shooter:
- Mateen acted alone and was killed by Orlando law enforcement.
- The Sentinel writes that he was a licensed gun owner and worked as a security guard.
- He was armed with an assault rifle, a handgun and an “unspecified device.”
- The Los Angeles Times reports Mateen may have had Islamic leanings.
- Mateen was a native of Port St. Lucie, which was about 120 miles south of Orlando’s coast. His family migrated to the U.S. from Afghanistan. He was born in New York in 1986.
- FBI says they have not ruled out terrorism as a motive.
- According to the Huffington Post, the father of the suspected gunman says his son was not driven by religious ideology, but instead a gay kiss he witnessed between two men in Miami a few months ago.
- Mateen was previously married. His ex-wife told The Washington Post that he was abusive during their marriage.
- NBC News reports that Mateen called 911moments before the shooting to pledge allegiance to ISIS.
This is the deadliest mass shooting in United States history and Orlando has declared a state of emergency.
Story is developing, check back for updates.
SOURCES: Orlando Sentinel, Los Angeles Times, The Daily Beast, NBC News, The Washington Post | PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter
SEE ALSO:
ORLANDO MASS SHOOTING: Twitter Eyewitness Accounts and Reactions
50 Killed In Orlando Nightclub Shooting, Deadliest Mass Shooting In U.S. History
What We Know About Suspected Orlando Gunman, Omar Mateen was originally published on newsone.com