Terrorist Attack In Orlando

[Lord Jim]

Orlando nightclub shooting: police say up to 20 dead in terrorist incident

Police carry out controlled explosion at Pulse LGBT nightclub and confirm gunman killed after hostage situation

A suspected terrorist shooting at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando has left at least 20 people dead, police have confirmed, adding that the attacker had been killed following a hostage situation at the club.

Shots were fired at the Pulse Club, in the early hours of Sunday. Staff at the venue posted on Facebook: “Everyone get out of pulse and keep running” and there were quickly reports on social media of an ongoing attack.

Orlando police said the shooting was being treated as an “act of domestic terrorism” and had resulted in mass casualties, urging people to stay away from the area.

Police said a number of people had been killed in the attack – in the “vicinity of 20” – but refused to give an exact death toll. They added that 42 people had been taken to hospital, including one police officer who had been shot in the head, but whose “life had been saved by his Kevlar helmet”. They confirmed the gunman was armed with an assault rifle, handgun and “some kind of device”.

In a press conference on Sunday morning, an FBI spokesman said investigators believed the attacker may have had extremist beliefs, and would consider possible links to Isis, but cautioned they were pursuing multiple leads.

An explosion was heard at the club at about 5am local time, which police said was a “distractionary device” used as part of the rescue mission to get to the hostages. The explosion caused some panic on the ground, which led to Orlando police tweeting to say it had been a “controlled explosion” and warning media about reporting inaccuracies.

Police confirmed the incident began at 2am when the gunman started firing and an officer on duty at the club exchanged shots with him. They said it then descended into a “hostage situation”. The situation was resolved three hours later when a Swat team stormed the nightclub after receiving messages from club patrons who were hiding in the club while the gunman was still at large.

“A little after 0500 hours we made a decision to go in and conduct a rescue, we were being contacted by people in the bathroom, about 15 people, our biggest concern was future loss of life,” said John Mina, the chief of police.

Several explosives and an armoured vehicle were used to break through a wall of the nightclub and rescue approximately 30 hostages. The suspect was shot by a police officer during this intervention.

Mina said they were still trying to identify the gunman, but he appears to have been “well-organised”. They could not confirm if the man was operating as a lone wolf or in coordination with others, but believe there is no increased threat to Orlando or the surrounding areas.

Police confirmed several “suspicious devices” were found in and around the nightclub, including one on the gunman and one on his car.

“This is an incident, as I see it, that we can definitely classify as a domestic terrorism incident,” said the Orange County sheriff, Jerry Demings.

When asked if the suspect had any affiliation with Islamic State, the FBI assistant agent in charge, Ron Hopper, said: “We do have suspicions that the individual may have leanings toward that ideology.” Though when pushed as to what led him to believe that, he clarified that all possibilities were being investigated.

Earlier in the evening one witness told Sky News there had been more than 100 people inside the venue for the club’s Latin night when the gunman entered the building and began firing into the ceiling and into the crowd.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016 ... lse-gunman

[Guinevere]

What you went out of your way to find the most outrageous version of the "truth?" We don't even know how many dead yet, but the Brits know it was Isis? Bullshit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/13/us/or ... 46&ref=cta

About 20 people were killed and at least 42 people were wounded when a gunman armed with an assault-style rifle, a handgun and possibly an explosive device opened fire inside a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., about 2 a.m., Police Chief John Mina said.

The police classified the attack as a “terror incident.” Local and federal authorities were investigating, and the F.B.I. set up a hotline for tips.

The police and the federal authorities said they were pursuing several angles in the terrorism investigation, both overseas and in the United States.

The gunman was not from the Orlando area and was organized and well-prepared, the police said.

The gunman was found dead inside the Pulse nightclub, one of the largest gay clubs in Orlando, about 5 a.m. after a shootout with officers who were attempting to rescue dozens of people who were being held hostage, said Chief Mina. He confirmed that the gunman had been killed by the police.

The chief said it was difficult to assess the number of clubgoers who had been killed because many of the bodies had not been removed.

The police were searching the club for other explosives that the gunman may have planted during his assault on Pulse.

The shooting began inside the club, the chief said, and continued outside when an officer working at Pulse attempted to confront him. The gunman then ran back into the club, resumed shooting and took hostages.

At 5 a.m., Chief Mina said, the police decided to attempt a rescue, detonating two explosives to distract the gunman and to help clear the club.

“With that advantage,” the chief said, nine officers moved into the club to confront the gunman. In the ensuing shootout, one of the officers was slightly wounded, saved by his Kevlar helmet, the authorities said.

“We rescued about 30 people,” Chief Mina said. During the rescue and shootout, officers with the SWAT team — using an armored vehicle — entered the club and hurried people to safety. Many of them had sought shelter in other sections of the sprawling club.

[Lord Jim]

Are you saying that The Guardian made up the quote from the FBI agent?

It's unusual for law enforcement officials to publicly offer that assessment this early. That would indicate they probably have some pretty solid info.

Since there was a hostage situation, presumably they were able to get some statements from people who heard things that the terrorist said.

If this definitely is confirmed as an act of Islamic based terrorism, (which apparently is what law enforcement officials currently believe to be the case) I'm sure we can count on our President to issue a strongly worded statement denouncing gun availability....

[Guinevere]

I see only the Graunidadrunning that quote and It may have been edited or taken out of context. Fox has a different version.

They are looking at all avenues, and they have no specific tie with Isis.

[Guinevere]

"Jhadi watch" says agent Hopper is weasly:

FBI assistant agent in charge of the agency’s Tampa division Ron Hopper makes an extraordinarily hesitant, weaselly statement when asked if the shooter was a jihadi:

“At this time we’re looking at all angles right now. We do have suggestions that that individual may have leanings towards that, that particular ideology. But right now we can’t say definitively so we’re still running everything around.”

He knows who is running the show and will soon be charging him with “Islamophobia” if he doesn’t do his best to obfuscate the grim reality.

So much for the "truth."

[Lord Jim]

Well, CNN has been reporting the same thing...

BTW, the only one I see talking about a link to ISIS specifically is you...

I realize that there are some folks who desperately want to not believe that a terrorist attack is motivated by radical Islam, and will deny it until denial becomes completely impossible...

I wonder if the FBI had said they "have suspicions that the individual may have leanings toward a right-wing Christian fundamentalist ideology" if we would see the same level of resistance to believing it...

Well, actually I don't really wonder; I kinda already know the answer....

[Guinevere]

Your emboldened quote, LJ, attempts to link the attack to Isis.Perhaps you should read it again.

I'm not the one that is desperate. I'm looking for facts, not fear.

[Lord Jim]

Actually if you read that carefully, you will see that while the question refers to the "Islamic State" the answer the FBI agent gave only references "that ideology"...

Since you don't like The Guardian, will you believe CBS?:

Islamic terrorism tie eyed in Orlando gay bar shooting

Last Updated Jun 12, 2016 9:31 AM EDT

ORLANDO, Fla. - A shooting and hostage situation early Sunday morning at a Florida nightclub -- which describes itself as "Orlando's hottest gay bar" -- left multiple people dead, including the gunman, officials say.

Sources have confirmed to CBS News that authorities are investigating whether the suspect, who has been named as Omar Mateen, had ties to Islamic terrorism. Mateen is a U.S. citizen with no apparent criminal history, according to sources.

Orlando Police chief John Mina said "around 20" people are believed dead inside the nightclub, although he and others were hesitant to provide firm numbers as the situation was still being assessed early Sunday morning.

Local hospitals report receiving at least 42 patients from the incident.

A U.S. intelligence source told CBS news senior investigative producer Pat Milton that Islamic terrorism is being investigated as a possible motive in the shooting due to several indicators including the style of the attack, which had similarities to the attacks in Paris in November 2015 and Brussels in March. The gunman put up a protracted gun battle with police and was heavily armed, the source said.

Robots are now analyzing a device the gunman had strapped to his body to determine if it was a real explosive device or a fake made to look like a real device, the source said.

Witnesses tell CBS affiliate WKMG as well as other local news outlets that there are numerous fatalities. Police have so far only confirmed that the gunman is dead.

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings described the situation as a "domestic terror incident," although he and other officials insisted there was no ongoing threat.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pulse-night ... g-orlando/

[Lord Jim]

The death toll is now up to 50...53 wounded...

I noticed at the press briefing that they had an Imam participating...

I'm sure there's absolutely no significance to that whatsoever. The authorities probably just wanted to have a religious leader participating and he just happened to be in the neighborhood...could just as easily have been a priest or a rabbi...sheer coincidence...

Heavens to Betsy, we certainly don't want to jump to any conclusions...

[Lord Jim]

Okay, now somebody has mentioned an ISIS link:

Senator Bill Nelson: Intelligence Committee Staff believe shooter has ties to ISIS



ORLANDO, Fla. – Approximately 50 people are dead and 53 were transferred to local hospitals, including one officer, after a gunman opened fire in an Orlando nightclub. The shooter was gunned down by police at the scene.

The shooter has been identified as Omar Mateen of St. Lucie County, according to ABC News. According to Congressman Alan Grayson stated at the 10:15 a.m. address to the media that Mateen is a U.S. citizen.

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 ABC News.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said that the shooting began at Pulse nightclub around 2:02 a.m. The police exchanged fire with a suspect outside Pulse. A hostage situation took place within the gay club, located just south of Downtown, and the SWAT team was called in. The exchange of gunfire between SWAT and the suspect took place at 5:00 according to Police Chief Mina.

Senator Bill Nelson spoke to the public at 11:50 a.m. and stated that Intelligence Committee Staff from the Counter Terrorism Center in DC, believe that there is some connection between ISIS and the shooter. However, Nelson said that the FBI has not confirmed this. The FBI has said that they believe there are ties to Islamic radicalism.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/mass ... /240714160

[MajGenl.Meade]

What, you went out of your way to find the most outrageous version of the "truth?" We don't even know how many dead yet, but the Brits know it was Isis? Bullshit.

Yes, that certainly was bullshit. "The Brits" made no statement whatsoever that "it was Isis". The Grauniad, a newspaper published in Britain, included this:

When asked if the suspect had any affiliation with Islamic State, the FBI assistant agent in charge, Ron Hopper, said: “We do have suspicions that the individual may have leanings toward that ideology.” Though when pushed as to what led him to believe that, he clarified that all possibilities were being investigated.

So, an attack on LJ is fully justified because he uh... quoted a newspaper article. The rascal!

Now as soon as I read the numbers killed, my first thought was "How terrible". And the second thought was, "Oh please let it not be done by some batshit lunatic claiming to be a Christian".

[Lord Jim]

Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS, official says

(CNN)The gunman who killed 50 people at an Orlando nightclub pledged allegiance to ISIS and mentioned the Boston bombing in a 911 call, according to a U.S. official.

Suspect Omar Mateen made the call more than 20 minutes into the attack, a law enforcement official said.

Authorities haven't officially released the gunman's name, but several law enforcement officials have identified him to CNN as Mateen.

The 29-year-old, who was killed by police, is from Fort Pierce, Florida, the officials said.

Local and federal bomb squad teams entered Mateen's apartment there Sunday afternoon as authorities tried to piece together details about the attack. Investigators haven't revealed what they found there.

The gunman was born in New York, a U.S. official said, and his parents are originally from Afghanistan.

In the past, the FBI investigated Mateen for possibly having ties or being a sympathizer to Islamic extremism, according to a law enforcement officials and a U.S. official.

There were two cases opened on Mateen in the past, the law enforcement official told CNN.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/12/us/orland ... ar-mateen/

It appears that this was an act of ISIS inspired Jihadist terrorism, though the authorities are continuing to check to see if there may have been more tie-in with the main group.

ETA:

Some additional info on the terrorist:

The gunman who killed at least 50 people at an Orlando nightclub early Sunday was a licensed security officer who claimed more than once that he had connections to Islamic terror groups, Fox News has learned, as the killer's ex-wife reportedly said he was unstable and would beat her.

Investigators identified the shooter as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, a Muslim who had a Statewide Firearms License. They said he lived in Port St. Lucie and nearby Fort Pierce. His father, Seddique Mateen, announced he was running for president of Afghanistan sometime around May 2015.

Omar Mateen "was not a stable person," his ex-wife told The Washington Post, which did not name her. "He beat me. He would just come home and start beating me up because the laundry wasn’t finished or something like that." She said he worked as a guard at a facility for juvenile delinquents and frequently exercised at a nearby gym in his spare time.

His ex-wife was born in Uzbekistan. They were married in St. Lucie County in 2009 and reportedly divorced in 2011. The shooter remarried at least once after the divorce and had a three-year-old son.

Security firm G4S confirmed he'd been an employee since September 2007. "We are cooperating fully with all law enforcement authorities, including the FBI, as they conduct their investigation," company executives said in a statement.

"The fact that this shooting took place during Ramadan and that ISIS leadership in Raqqa has been urging attacks during this time, that the target was an LGBT night club during Pride, and – if accurate – that according to local law enforcement the shooter declared his allegiance to ISIS, indicates an ISIS-inspired act of terrorism," House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., announced. The gunman had Facebook and Myspace accounts, a counterterrorism source told Fox News.

Federal investigators were scouring Omar Mateen's social media profile and looking into his father's background, as well as possible connections to an outside group.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/06/12/fl ... claim.html

If it turns out he was acting alone, this is always going to be the most difficult form of radical Islamist terrorism to thwart. The more people involved in the plan, the better the chance that someone will screw up and law enforcement will get tipped off.

The most effective way to combat Islamic inspired terrorism, is to bring down the source of the inspiration. A bunch of losers on the run hanging out in caves afraid to use cell phones will be a whole lot less "inspiring" than a group with it's own "caliphate", tens of thousands of fighters, and sophisticated social media promotion and recruitment apparatus.

[Lord Jim]

Nice to see this:

Muslim community condemns Orlando attack, calls for blood donations

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. - In response to a nightclub shooting in Orlando Sunday morning, members of the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations are urging Muslims to donate blood to those who are injured.

"We condemn this monstrous attack and offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of all those killed or injured," Rasha Munarak, the CAIR Florida Orlando regional coordinator. "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."

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases ... 83415.html

Dallas-area Muslim leaders on Sunday decried the Orlando attack and said they’re going over safety guidelines and taking extra precautions.

“As humans but also as Muslims it’s absolutely horrifying that somebody who claims to be Muslim would commit this atrocious act,” said Alia Salem, executive director of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “We’re just heartbroken with the rest of everybody and trying to find ways to come together in the aftermath.”

http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2016 ... area.html/

Metro Detroit Muslims strongly condemn Orlando shooting

Muslim advocates in Michigan and across the U.S. strongly condemned the mass shooting early this morning at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida that left 50 dead and dozens injured.

"We are extremely sad and horrified by what happened," said Dr. Mansoor Qureshi, president of the Michigan chapter of the Ahmaddiya Muslim Community. "We condemn it in the strongest possible words. Whoever did it is beyond crazy, he's a lunatic. ... It's such a tragic loss of life."

"We pray for the victims, we pray for humanity," Qureshi said. "We will continue to do whatever we can to save life, to support the lives of all."

"It is tragic to hear anytime a life is taken in such a senseless act of violence," said Mahir Osman, secretary of public affairs for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in metro Detroit. "Such brutality has no place in a civilized society. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community of metro Detroit mourns the loss of our brothers and sisters in humanity and prays for the speedy recovery of the injured."

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/m ... /85792084/

DC: CAIR, National Muslim Leaders to Hold News Conference to Condemn Orlando Shooting, Urge Muslims to Donate Blood for Victims

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Later today, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, will hold a news conference with national and local leaders of the Muslim community and with interfaith representatives to condemn the deadly shooting spree at an Orlando, Fla., nightclub that left at least 50 people dead.

News conference participants will offer condolences to the loved ones of those killed or injured and will respond to newly-revealed information about the shooting suspect. They will also ask the Muslim community nationwide to take part in a blood donation drive for those injured in the attack.

CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in reaction to the attack: "We are sickened and heartbroken by this appalling attack. Our hearts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims. There can never be any justification for such cowardly and criminal acts, period."

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases ... 83415.html

[Gob]

The Guardian, (or "Grauniad",) is the UK's main, (only,) left wing daily newspaper. It's very anti-racism, and would not print anything which could be seen as "Muslim" related without good evidence.

[MajGenl.Meade]

... or as a misprint for "Milsap"

[Lord Jim]

When I saw early news reports on this late Saturday night, I wasn't thinking that it would turn out to be a terrorist attack. The first thing I thought was that it was likely to be somebody with some sort of personal beef against the club; a disgruntled former employee, somebody who had been kicked out earlier....something like that....

But later when I first saw the quote from the FBI being covered on CNN, I concluded that this was almost certainly some sort of Jihadist attack. I came to this conclusion because I'm familiar with how extremely cautious the FBI is regarding public statements in cases like this, and given that, it seemed to me that if they were willing to go even as far as they did in ascribing radical Islamic ideology as a possible motivating factor, (rather than simply saying something like "at this point we have no idea what the motive is") then they must have had a lot more evidence to support that theory then they were revealing at the time.

This of course is exactly what turned out to be case. By the time agent Hooper was talking abut evidence "suggesting" radical Islamic ideology as being involved they already knew about the 9/11 call and had a preliminary ID in the perp which revealed his prior behavior and previous investigations.

After seeing the FBI quote being reported on CNN, I looked on like for an article that would also have it. Some news sources didn't contain it. (These must have been the ones Guin saw) so I picked The Guardian article, since I'd already had it confirmed by CNN.

Far from being wrong or "out of context", The Guardian reported it with absolute accuracy. The reports that didn't contain it must have either been posted before the statement was made, or the news organizations were engaging in very poor journalism by neglecting to include such a critical piece of information.

And as everything that has come to light about this horrific attack since then has confirmed, the subject line I chose, and The Guardian headline and story, far from being "bullshit" or "the most outrageous version of the "truth?"" were 100% correct.

[Guinevere]

Ah yes, nice to see you channeling Donald "i was right" Trump. Rushing to judgment plays right into his hands, and demonstrates why your entire party owns him.

Good job.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Ah yes, nice to see you channeling Donald "i was right" Trump. Rushing to judgment plays right into his hands, and demonstrates why your entire party owns him.

Good job.

[Lord Jim]

Ah yes, nice to see you channeling Donald "i was right" Trump. Rushing to judgment plays right into his hands, and demonstrates why your entire party owns him.

Good job.

Now there's a really good example of pure "bullshit"...

Trump is talking about banning Muslims, trying to use this tragedy to whip up more fear and hatred towards Muslims, and dishonestly trying to claim that his ban would somehow have prevented this attack...(in fact I was about to look up an article about his grossly toxic and exploitive reaction when I saw your post.)

I on the other hand, am posting articles showing how the larger American Muslim community is condemning the attack without qualification and rallying to help. Big difference.

And of course my many times expressed position has been the exact opposite of Trump's. I believe it's essential to have good and cooperative relations with Muslim communities; he wants to ostracize and isolate them...

I began this thread by posting an article which accurately reported the known facts. You responded by launching an unprovoked personal attack on me, and accusing me of somehow deliberately trying to seek out sources that distorted or misreported the facts.

And now that the evidence shows you were completely wrong in your accusation, rather than apologize for your attack and groundless insinuations, you have the gall to try to equate me with Donald Trump...

Shame on you.

[Guinevere]

Your article cut off/edited the full quote of the FBI agent, and in so doing made the piece one that stirred the post before all the facts were in. As I said above, I was looking for facts, not fear-mongering.

Yes, you were correct, there was inspiration from Isis in the attack. Congratulations. I hope being right makes you feel better.