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Terrorism Hits Florida In Nation’s Deadliest Mass Shooting
June 13, 2016
Terrorism brutalized Florida early Sunday morning in the nation’s worst mass shooting, leaving 50 people dead and dozens more injured.
The horrific shooting by a lone gunman around 2 a.m. at the Pulse gay nightclub in downtown Orlando — declared “an act of terror and an act of hate” by President Barack Obama — prompted Gov. Rick Scott to declare a state of emergency in Orange County.
Authorities identified the killer as Omar Mateen, 29, who was killed in a shootout with police after he held some club-goers hostage for about three hours. Mateen purchased two guns, including an assault rifle, within the past week, according to federal officials.
Mateen worked for G4S, a global security company with offices in Jupiter, since 2007, the company confirmed in a statement.
Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson joined local and federal officials in Orlando after the shooting. The investigation has been taken over by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Special Agent in Charge Ron Hopper told reporters at a press conference Sunday afternoon. Hopper also said that no other suspects are linked to the shooting. Mateen had been questioned by the FBI in 2013 for “inflammatory comments” made to coworkers and again in 2014 regarding a suicide bomber, but he was not currently under investigation or surveillance, Hopper said.
In a telephone call with 911 operators around the time of the attack, Mateen — who was reportedly on a terror watch list — allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terrorism group, according to authorities. After the attack, federal, state and local law enforcement were at a home in Fort Pierce where Mateen lived.
Elected officials and political candidates quickly issued statements or took to social media to condemn the massacre at the nightclub, a popular meeting place among the region’s close-knit LGBT community.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer set up a special website and hotline for families and friends, many of whom were unable to locate their loved ones late Sunday afternoon.
“This is probably the most difficult day in the history of Orlando,” Dyer told reporters at the afternoon press conference. “We need to support each other. We need to love each other. And we will not be defined by a hateful shooter. We will be defined by how we support and love each other.”
The governor asked the nation to join in moment of silence at 6 p.m. Sunday to “mourn the loss of life and also pray for those that are still fighting for their life.”
“Clearly, this is an act of terrorism. You just can’t imagine this happening in any community,” Scott, who also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff, said. “My heart goes out to every family member that’s been impacted. … This state is going to be defined as a state of generosity, a state of love. We are a resilient state. We love people in our state and we are going to continue to do that.”
Sunday’s attack “could happen anywhere in the world,” Rubio, R-Fla., said.
“Unfortunately, today was Orlando’s turn,” he went on. “We know that there’s hate in the world. We know that some of it is inspired by warped ideology. … I hope they see today they won’t terrorize America. They won’t terrorize Floridians. We stand with all Americans … irrespective of their sexual orientation.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Obama called the “horrific massacre” an “especially heartbreaking day for all of our friends — our fellow Americans — who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.” June is LGBT Pride Month.
“The shooter targeted a nightclub where people came together to be with friends, to dance and to sing, and to live. The place where they were attacked is more than a nightclub — it is a place of solidarity and empowerment where people have come together to raise awareness, to speak their minds and to advocate for their civil rights,” Obama said.
Many gay activists turned their grief into action by organizing blood drives, counseling and efforts to raise money for victims and their families. A number of vigils were planned across Florida on Sunday and Monday.
“We are heartbroken and angry that senseless violence has once again destroyed lives in our state and in our country,” Equality Florida said in a statement.
Gay clubs “were often the only safe gathering place and this horrific act strikes directly at our sense of safety,” the statement said.
“We have received a steady stream of emails and messages from those seeking to help or to make sense of the senseless. We make no assumptions on motive. We will await the details in tears of sadness and anger. We stand in solidarity and keep our thoughts on all whose lives have been lost or altered forever in this tragedy,” the statement concluded.
Bondi also pledged support for the LGBT community, calling it a “horrible, horrible time” in Florida.
“We are making it clear — anyone who attacks our LGBT community, anyone who attacks anyone in our state will be gone after to the full extent of the law,” she said. “You’re hearing on a horrible, tragic, violent day the word love.”
But Obama and others, including Florida Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch, also used the massacre, which left 53 people hospitalized, to press for stricter gun laws.
The president — who has seen 15 mass shootings since he took office in 2008 — noted that Sunday’s tragedy was the most-deadly shooting in the nation’s history.
“The shooter was apparently armed with a handgun and a powerful assault rifle. This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well,” he said.
Deutch said that “thoughts and prayers alone are not a sufficient response” to the situation, and demanded that lawmakers address the gun issue when Congress reconvenes Monday after a break.
Congress should immediately “vote to close the loophole that allows people on the terror watch list to buy assault rifles — or any weapon,” Deutch said in a statement. “This isn’t politics; it’s common sense.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
36 Responses to “Terrorism Hits Florida In Nation’s Deadliest Mass Shooting”
REGARDING:
“This is getting completely out of hand with mass shootings happening more and more frequently. At the very least I would hope that the Federal assault weapons ban is reinstated at some point, I see no practical use in a democracy for that type of weapon.”
.
The Federal assault weapons ban was really just an ugly semi-automatics importation ban. And you don’t see a practical use because you assume a peaceful community and a benevolent government. The federal government itself sees a use which is why they buy and issue so many, although they include fully automatic settings.
Nonetheless, the American people may decide to limit their legal rights to keep and bear arms to such an extent that they decide to legally remove the second amendment of the Bill of Rights from the Constitution by the amendment process laid out in that same Constitution. If they don’t, they will prove once again that governments can’t be trusted.
Regardless, people who obey the law won’t use them in the first place and people who do not obey the law will do whatever they choose.
” this cannot continue indefinitely,”
Actually, it can even though we wish it wouldn’t. There are too many ways to kill large numbers of people it to stop all of them every time, especially when they want to be killed in the process to assure their supposed entry into paradise when they know they have no other hope. (This fellow — for example — reportedly desired other fellows while knowing such desires condemned him in Islam. Jihad or Crusade supposedly covers all taboos.)
David for realizing evil exists in all
@amother. WHAT!!!!!!!
There is something about a socialist ideology that demands people be unarmed, Hitler did it, Mussolini did it, Stalin did it, the list goes on.
@ Paula Saunders
As a paramedic I agree with your statement about the mentally ill but how do we fix the mentally ill when we can’t tell the difference between mentally ill and just hiding their crazy well? As a medic in Mobile,Al I can tell you there is a difference. One we know is crazy. The other hides their crazy under the guise of normalcy. One we know is capable of killing. The other is our neighbor.
Sorry, Tom. We do NOT live in a democracy. Do a little historical research on your own and educate yourself as to what form of government we are “suppose” to be living under.
A democracy is 3 wolves and a sheep voting on what is for dinner.
A Constitutional Republic is the same 3 wolves and an armed sheep voting on what is for dinner.
In case you haven’t figured it out yet…we gun owners are NOT on the menu.
Well said, Bubba Blogger. Thanks!!! What people doesn’t realize is, God can bring down the gays, like he did in the Bible. Then who they gonna blame? It is bad that someone did this, but God destroyed Sodom & Gomorrah. People just accept too much these days. I love my son/daughter/mother father or whoever, they can’t help they’re gay/or that kid is special, they have 2 of the same parents, no people I’m sorry, people have a choice, & they choose to be sick. That’s some of what’s wrong with people today. What’s wrong with tough love. Some people think they’re drug addicted or abusive children are better than gays, guess what, they’re not, they still have a problem & your probably enabling them right now. Drunk driver & his/her family thinks it was an accident & the other people shouldn’t have been on the road & actually makes it ok to their loved ones. Poor Billy Bob just accidentally got drunk, didn’t mean too & didn’t hit & kill that on purpose, the teen shouldn’t have been getting home late, they were in the wrong too. NO NO NO!!!!!! The drunk shouldn’t have been drinking, therefore he/she wouldn’t have been driving, therefore that teen could have gotten home with a blasting from parent & lived out the rest of their life, by falling in love, getting married & just being productive, you get my point & that parent not being told & having the rest of their life missing out in their kids life, to have to wonder how many other people have or gonna lose their lives because of that drunk & certain family members. I know some may not condone & that can cause strife in families when one doesn’t agree or condone bad things because those are then left out because they’re actually trying to live right & raise others right. Nuff said
If it is any consolation, based on the teachings of Christ, by this time, he is regretting choices which placed him forever in Hell.
(Those who do not believe are robbed by the hope of torturing him any further since he is dead. Those who realized he was dangerously crazy probably have regrets they didn’t keep insisting something be done.)
Nothing can stop a person who is intent on harming others before he does it. You might remember the federal government received complaints about this fellow threatening to kill folks, investigated them and decided he was not dangerous. Government errors either way will kill you.
Yes, guns are designed to kill specific people from a distance and to be able to kill sometimes many, even if you are only using a double barrel shotgun. What’s more, it is getting easier and easier to make them using 3-D printers so forget about stopping anyone from buying dangerous devices.
Without guns, people intent on killing still have: bombs, acids, bases, clubs, knives, spears. darts, deadly animals, poisonous gases, fire, poison, electricity, biological attacks, piano wire, trucks, airplanes, boats, and a number of things I hesitate to mention. The idea that people should only be allowed to murder you in specific ways is silly.
If you spread hatred or injustice, you may contribute to sending someone into a killing spree. Please avoid this.
David for better people and comforting those who mourn
It did not take long for me to be blamed for the various crimes in this nation. The POTUS has found me. Today , I threw my daddy’s old pistol into the bay. I could have recycled it. I have already recycled my Social Security to a lot of people who have never payed into it. I think I will find me a tent in a garage sale, move into the woods, and see what happens next.
Politically Correct !!!! I have been told that I am not a politically correct person a few times in my life. I am glad to see that some people are finally waking up to see what it does to our country. I hate all these people got killed except for the one doing the shooting. The Radical Islamic Terrorist are trying to take over our country and Obama and Hillary really don’t give a damn. She wants to bring 65,000 more from Syria when she gets to be the President (LOL). How many will be in that crowd and how many Americans will they kill. This has been the worst 71/2 years for anyone that ever held the office of President of the U.S. I have never been politically correct but I have been correct a few times in my life. We need TRUMP to help bring this country back to being the Great Country we use to be. Now with that said to hell with the politically correct people that think I am so bad for saying what I want to say. It is still America and I still have that right. Also if you don’t own a gun buy you one you will need it. Remember these people don’t give a damn if you are white black red or blue they just want you dead. God Bless The USA.
This is getting completely out of hand with mass shootings happening more and more frequently. At the very least I would hope that the Federal assault weapons ban is reinstated at some point, I see no practical use in a democracy for that type of weapon. Eventually sooner or later the majority of the public will support such a thing as more gun control as in the past, there has to be limits. After Sandy Hook it opened my eyes to seeing how other countries deal with gun violence and there not perfect but they are at least substantially better than what we have here. I prayed for the victims last night and I will pray again tonight, but prayers will not stop this without some real debate and action, this cannot continue indefinitely,
Prepare yourselves America, radicalized Islamic terrorists will not stop killing Americans. We must unite with the mindset that terrorism must be eradicated. They will continue to pursue soft targets and be quick to take responsibility for these vicious attacks – its fuels their propaganda. They have brought it to our shores. How many more of us must die? Enough is enough!
“Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world.” Winston Churchill 1899
It’s not our place to judge the dead for the life they have lived, only God can do that. I do feel sorrow for the families of the victims and pray for healing in their lives.
As far as the issue of these Islamic terrorist in out country….when will it be enough? When will our government stand up and put an end to their reign of terror on American soil? Time and time again these radicals strike out and kill innocent Americans. The Japanese spilled American blood on American soil…we struck back. Why not now? When will YOU as a citizen have enough? Will it take your son or daughter being the next victim? I hope not. People, we as a nation need to wake up. We need leadership in government. NOT Apologetic mouthpieces . Unarming citizens is not the answer nor an option since it is written in the Constitution as a fundamental right.
Let’s just use good judgement and VOTE according. Stand your ground and be proud of your country. Let your politicans know you are not going to be target practice for yet another radical.
We are not “safe”, never have been and never will be. Why? Hate breeds hate, violence breeds violence, ignorance breeds ignorance. True evil does exist and it walks on 2 legs!! You really never know who will do what. With that said…lose the hate in your hearts…you throw that negative crap back into the universe. It’s much harder than it sounds. I’ve been trying to do this for years (not very well by the way). Praying for all those families affected.
Not to minimize this atrocity, but actually the worst mass shooting in US history (outside of wartime) was probably the massacre at Wounded Knee where 297 mostly unarmed men, women and children were killed….
What needs to be done is stop this political correctness and go after the head not the tail.
Muslims follow the quran. And the quran says to kill everybody else: Quran (2:191-193) “And kill them wherever you find them.” A radical muslim is a muslim who not only talks-the-talk, but walks-the-walk.
If you live your life by the sword, you will die by the sword. Unfortunately this terrorist wasn’t taken out before these people were killed. Guns aren’t the problem people. It’s the human being behind the gun…don’t be so ignorant.
I definitely DO NOT condone the gay lifestyle, but this was a senseless act. This nutjob could’ve even busted into some church on the north end and taken out a congregation. Extreme Muslims don’t like Christians either you know?
Also, I know there are some out there professing this and think it’s right, BUT, there isn’t such a thing as a gay Christian, that is known as an oxymoron…and it’s still an abomination…gay pastors included…it’s wrong…a sin is a sin.
Pray for these families, Pray for people to be saved and to follow Jesus Christ…
You are right gdh. If an “assault weapon” was used, it would have been far worse.
Unfortunately for your “observation and opinion”, he did not possess an assault rifle.
Look up the true definition of “assault rifle”, not the leftists’ hijacking of the term.
ps. The average hunting rifle is FAAAAAR more powerful than these so called “high powered assault rifles”. Again, do the research. The .223 round was designed to wound in war over a likely .30 Cal and higher kill so that it would take two of the wounded’s comrades to drag him off of the battleground, effectively removing 3 people from the fight with 1 shot.
In most areas it is illegal to hunt game with a .223 or 5.65 (AR-15 to most leftists) because it is not a powerful enough round to deliver a “humane kill” to game creatures. Usually, the AR-15 is relegated to hunting and destroying varmints like coyotes and groundhogs.
@ gdh, just so you know assault rifles are already regulated, you have to have a federal permit to own one and the permit is very hard to obtain. I assume you are talking about the AR-15, which is NOT an assault rifle. Also if I go to the dr because I haven’t been feeling well why is it any of his business if I own guns. Making it harder for the good guys will not stop the bad guys.
terrorists take out 50 Americans and we take out one terrorist? Something dreadfully wrong here…
Unfortunately for the world Islam hasn’t been filtered down by the Enlightenment and tampered down the radical factions. We need to remember Muslims have been in this country since the earliest times and only in recent times have we seen this radicalization and attacks of this nature and we need to understand what motivates it to address it. In this case it is a homophobic abuser. But we also need to understand there are those in Christianity who harbor just as much hate toward those who are different and this needs to be addressed as well. People like Franklin Graham praising Russia’s policies or the Family Research Council push their bigotry and hatefulness to the point too many think going further with violence is okay.
As to the assault rifles, they are only good for one thing; killing. Look at the statistics and where they are regulated this happens far less. But let’s face it, to date those who want absolutely no regulations, no background checks, not even letting doctors ask patients if they own guns have won when we as a society did nothing after Sandy Hook thus saying it is okay to kill 6 year old children.
Wanting ones country and its people protected is not hate. It is common sense. Disagreeing with someone is not hate. It is freedom of thought. Doing things the same way over and over again when it has never worked is insanity.
A crazy person kills fifty people or more in a place they considered safe. The issue is how we handle the mentally ill. Such a person was a security guard and also was able to buy arms. What is wrong with this picture.
The lt. Governor of Texas tweeted that the United States was reaping what it sowed, not the victims. Someone is not doing their job in protecting Americans.
Thank you President Obama for keeping America safe from terrorists and isis !!!!!! Oh yeah I forgot those people are not here and if they are they are peaceful people.
Funny how Dan Patrick’s biblical quote is automatically interpreted as hate against homosexuals, when it could have just as easily been aimed at Muslims, or even fellow Christians.
Of course our 1984-like media has conditioned us to cry hate when we hear a biblical quote.
Dan Patrick probably was busy and may not have been aware of the mass shooting when he tweeted. I certainly did not hear about the shooting until late in the afternoon because I was busy and not glued to the media.
As for Donald Trump, he has said a lot more than just that he was right.
Of course liberals are always on the attack and ready to take advantage of a mass killing to destroy those they don’t agree with.
Thank you Kate for your comment about removing the log from your eye before removing the speck from your brothers eye. Why does people always have to find a reason like it was a gay bar….these are people just like the rest of us they do not deserve to die, because of that. We are not the judge or jury only od needs to judge. I fall short of most standards every day but I hope no one shoots me because of it. I pray for the families and friends of all these people and may God help all of us to see we are all special in his eyes. If you respond in a negative way to this response that is okay I do not intend to retaliate with a response.
This event is unfortunate. With that being said.@Howard, He was a US citizen and was afforded the same liberties as you and I. If he had done nothing to get his RIGHT taken away, then there is nothing that could have been done. He was on a watch list, and was questioned twice by trained FBI personnel. Nothing came of it. It isn’t anyone’s fault except his own.
Again, this is a truly unfortunate event, and my heart goes out to the families involved. Unfortunately bad things happen to good people.
Wow Kate – the perfect solution!!! Earth should be a Garden of Eden. All we have to do now is to come up with a strategy how to install this unconditional love and tolerance all over the world. We have to be willing to watch thousands or millions of people get slaughtered over the next 100 or more years while we continue chasing after this pipe dream. Obama, Clinton, the media – they all know this problem cannot be fixed with gun control and all the political correctness – but they continue to spoon feed it to a public who does not have a brain or is not using it to think for themselves.
And this will happen again in some other part of America.
Neither politicians nor “citizens” have the stomach to do what it takes to end islamic terrorism once and for all.
Thoughts and prayers to all of those affected in Orlando.
To the terrorists-in-waiting…your time is coming. Believe me…it is coming quickly.
The agenda every time is to get the guns. If every one of those people had a gun on them we would not be sitting in front of our computers mourning the loss of 50 human beings. The gun free zones are what need to be disposed of. We are being pitted against each other at every turn. I am sick of being told who I need to hate or fear every day of the week.
When you have hatred in your minds for anyone, Democrat, Republican, Christian, Jew or Muslim. When you hate the LGBT community, the racial groups in America your thoughts will move into your hearts and then into action. Stop the hatred, that should be the message here not blaming President Obama or Secretary Clinton. We were told in the new testament, take the log from your eye first before you take the speck from your brother or sister’s eye. That is for you straightshooter, and anyone else filled with this hatred.
“The shooter purchased two guns, including an assault rifle, within the past week, but was reportedly on a terror watch list”? Can someone explain how this can happen?
Before you socialist attack the beloved Ar-15 again, remember France, it is extremely difficult to purchase a firearm over there, and you can forget about a permit to carry it for protection, now the terrorist had no problem importing their FULLY AUTOMATIC AK-47’s an killing over 140 people. Once you move political correctness out of the way and “Identify the enemy” then you can
destroy him.
I’m fixin to upset some folks , but anyone who bows to Allah and the child molesting Prophet Muhammad is a potential threat to this country.
Praying for the families of the victims, but not to Allah.
50 people die in a terrorist attack and all Donald Trump can do is congratulate himself for being “right”? The Lt. Governor of Texas tweets that the victims reaped what they sowed? I’m sorry, but those statements disqualify both of those people from holding office in this country. We don’t need someone gloating about the deaths of his fellow Americans to be anywhere near the White House. I am truly disgusted by Donald Trump and Dan Patrick.
This fight isn’t about gun control. Liberals fool themselves by thinking that banning assault rifles will somehow prevent mass shootings. Deranged people will kill others no matter if they can legally buy a gun or not. It’s also not about “banning” Muslims or closing the borders. This is about extremism in all its forms. Radical Islam, the KKK, Operation Rescue, Westboro Baptist Church, Jewish extremists in Israel, Greenpeace, and too many others to name. NONE of these groups broadly represent the populations from which they come, yet they have a very disproportionate impact on the world. The real answer lies in finding a way to remove the attraction to extremism for our young people, no matter the flavor.
Praying for the victims and families….almost a year ago the SC shootings in the AME church occurred. The shooter was a “neo-Confederate” and our good President told us we had to hate the Confederate flag and take it down because it’s heritage was offensive. Now, 2016, this shooting happens and Obama and Crooked Hillary won’t even call it what it is: “Radical Islam,” or denounce those who follow jihad…maybe their heritage is one of hate, yet you won’t hear Obama or Hillary say it……a true hypocrite in every sense of the word.