Rivera Velazquez, Juan Ramon Guerrero, Kimberly Morris and Leroy Valentin Fernandez. Second row from left are: Franky Jimmy De Jesus Velazquez, Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, Jason Benjamin Josaphat, Javier Jorge-Reyes, Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, Joel Rayon Paniagua, Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, Juan P. Rios Jr., Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera and Frank Hernandez. Candelario-Padro, Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, Antonio Davon Brown, Christopher Leinonen, Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, Darryl Roman Burt II, Edward Sotomayor Jr., Enrique L. Top row from left are: Amanda Alvear, Angel L. Say goodbye to El Niño, and a wary hello to La Niñaĭoctors aren't washing their hands as thoroughly as they should beįamily in Greensboro moving after getting mean note about crying babyThese photo combination shows victims of the mass shooting that occurred early Sunday, June 12, 2016, at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (Additional reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Colleen Jenkins in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Chris Michaud in New York and Mary Milliken in Los Angeles Writing by Frank McGurty, Scott Malone and Dan Wallis Editing by Mark Heinrich and Mary Milliken Late Friday, a man thought to be a deranged fan fatally shot singer Christina Grimmie, a former contestant on "The Voice," as she was signing autographs after a concert. It was the second deadly shooting at an Orlando night spot in as many nights. Orlando has a population of 270,930 and is the home of the famed Disney World amusement park and many other tourist attractions that attracted 62 million visitors in 2014. "We will await the details in tears of sadness and anger." They were often the only safe gathering place and this horrific act strikes directly at our sense of safety," the group said. "Gay clubs hold a significant place in LGBTQ history. lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, LGBT advocacy group Equality Florida said in a statement. The choice of target was especially heart-wrenching for members of the U.S. Pulse, which was crowded for a Latin music night, describes itself on its website as more than "just another gay club." One of the founders and owners, Barbara Poma, opened it more than a decade ago in an effort to keep alive the spirit of her brother, who died after battling HIV. Dozens of police cruisers, ambulances and other emergency vehicles could be seen in the area. Video footage showed police officers and civilians carrying some injured people away from the club and bending over others on the ground.
it was constant, like 'pow, pow, pow,'," he said. "There were so many (shots), at least 40. Javer Antonetti, 53, told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper he was near the back of the dance club when he heard gunfire. He was also carrying an unidentified "device," Orlando Police Chief John Mina said earlier. The attacker was carrying an assault rifle and a handgun, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said. President Barack Obama ordered the federal government to provide any assistance needed to Florida police investigating the shooting, the White House said in a statement. "I think we're going to be talking about a very different kind of case here soon." "Over the next couple of days they're going to be looking to see where this individual was inspired to carry out this horrifying act of terrorism," Rubio said. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida told CNN he understood that the gunman had worked for a security company and so would have undergone some background checks. The FBI said it was still trying to pin down whether the mass shooting was a hate crime against gays or a terrorist act.Ĭlick here for more of the day's top headlines. But right now we can't say definitively." "Whether that is domestic terrorist activity or an international one, that is something we will certainly get to the bottom of."Īsked if the FBI suspected the gunman might have had inclinations toward militant Islam, including a possible sympathy for Islamic State, Ronald Hopper, an assistant FBI agent in charge, told reporters: "We do have suggestions that the individual may have leanings toward that particular ideology. "Do we consider this an act of terrorism? Absolutely," said Danny Banks, special agent in charge of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. One officer was injured after he was hit in his helmet while exchanging fire with the gunman, police said. It was unclear when the gunman killed the victims.
(0600 GMT), police officials said.Ī hostage situation quickly developed, and three hours later SWAT team officers used armored cars to storm the club before shooting dead the gunman. "Today we're dealing with something that we never imagined and is unimaginable," Dyer said, more than doubling an earlier estimate that about 20 bodies were found in the Pulse nightclub.Ī police officer working as a security guard inside the club, which has operated in downtown Orlando since 2004, exchanged fire with the suspect at about 2 a.m.