On June 12, 2016, a mass shooting terrorist attack occurred inside Pulse, a gay
nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States. It resulted in 53 wounded and 50 dead, including the gunman, who was killed by Orlando police after a three-hour standoff. It was the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman and the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in U.S. history; the largest mass killing of LGBT people in the Western world since the Holocaust; and the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks in 2001.
The assailant was identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, an American born to parents of Afghan background. Witnesses said he was a regular patron of the nightclub, and some said he had used gay dating websites in the past. In a 9-1-1 call shortly after the attack began, he swore allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Investigators have not directly linked him to ISIL, and said the attack may have been ISIL-inspired without being ISIL-directed.
On June 11, 2016, Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, was hosting Latin Night, a weekly Saturday-night event drawing a primarily Hispanic crowd. About 320 people were inside the club, which was serving last call drinks at around 2:00 a.m. on June 12. After arriving at the club by van, Omar Mateen approached the building on foot, armed with a SIG Sauer MCX[6] semi-automatic rifle and a 9mm Glock 17 handgun. A uniformed Orlando Police Department (OPD) officer working extra duty engaged Mateen, returning fire at 2:02 a.m. EDT. Mateen was able to enter the building, however, and began shooting patrons. The officer was soon joined by two additional officers who also began engaging Mateen. Mateen then retreated further into the nightclub and began to take patrons hostage. About 100 officers from the OPD and the Orange County Sheriff's Office were first dispatched to the scene.
During the attack, people trapped inside the club called and messaged friends and relatives. Initially, some of them thought the gunshots were firecrackers or part of music. Many described a scene of panic and confusion caused by the loud music and darkness. One person hiding in a bathroom covered herself with the bodies of victims for protection. Some entertainers hid inside a dressing room when the shooting started and escaped the building by crawling out when police removed the air conditioning unit. One of the bartenders said she hid under the glass bar. Many patrons attempted to save the lives of those injured.
According to one of the hostages, Mateen entered a bathroom where people were hiding and opened fire, wounding several. The hostage, who had taken cover inside a stall with others, was injured by bullets and flying pieces of a wall that was hit with bullets. Mateen's rifle then jammed briefly, at which point he stopped firing and took survivors hostage. Two survivors reported Mateen as saying "I don't have a problem with black people" but that he "wouldn't stop his assault until America stopped bombing his country". Other survivors heard Mateen claim that he had explosives as well as snipers stationed around the club. Hostages called or texted 9-1-1 to warn of the possible presence of explosives.
At 2:09 a.m. EDT, several minutes after the gunfire started, the club posted on its Facebook page, "Everyone get out of pulse and keep running". At 2:22 a.m. EDT, Mateen made a 9-1-1 call in which he expressed sympathy for Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bombers, and made a reference to Moner Mohammad Abu Salha, an acquaintance of his who died in a suicide bombing in Syria in 2014. Mateen said he was inspired by Abu Salha's death for the Al-Nusra Front, and despite their being at war with ISIL, claimed allegiance to the latter organization. According to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials, Mateen made two other 9-1-1 calls during the shooting.
At 2:45 a.m., Mateen called News 13 of Orlando and said, "I am the shooter." The Washington Post reports that he "then said he had carried out the Pulse attack for the Islamic State and began speaking quickly in Arabic". The TV station's managing editor matched the incoming phone number to Mateen. Dozens of additional first responders—including OPD officers, Orange County sheriff's deputies, and FBI agents, as well as paramedics and firefighters from three fire departments—reported to the scene. A crisis negotiator was present as Mateen was holed up inside and holding hostages. Officers initially believed he was armed with a "device" that posed a threat, but it was later revealed to be an exit sign or smoke detector that had fallen down. Due to the nature of the situation, officers said they had to wait for three hours in order to have a full assessment of the incident, wait for armored vehicles, and ensure they had enough personnel.
The injured police officer's Kevlar helmet from the incident, showing the impact of a bullet
At 3:58 a.m. EDT, the OPD announced to the public that there was a shooting at the club, and that there were multiple injuries. According to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Mateen claimed to police during negotiations that he planned to strap bombs to four hostages and strategically place them in different corners of the building.
Before 5:00 a.m. EDT, Mateen entered the bathroom stall where the hostages were hiding and fired three shots, killing one person Immediately afterwards, at around 5:00 a.m. EDT, SWAT officers entered the building by driving an armored vehicle through a wall, then used two flash-bangs to distract Mateen. Mateen was shot and killed in the gunfight, which involved eleven officers.
Five minutes later, police said a bomb squad had set off a controlled explosion. At 5:53 a.m. EDT, they confirmed Mateen's death. Thirty hostages were freed during the police operation; one officer received a shot to his head, but his helmet reduced the impact so it was non-lethal, and he was hospitalized for minor eye injuries. Many of the survivors were searched by police for guns and explosives. Once the officers entered the building, they found 39 bodies, including Mateen's, inside the club. Another two were found outside.
38 victims and the perpetrator died at the scene, and 11 other victims were pronounced dead at local hospitals. Many were taken to the Orlando Regional Medical Center, the primary regional trauma center, located three blocks from the nightclub; others were taken to two other area hospitals. The names and ages of the victims killed were confirmed by the City of Orlando after next of kin had been notified:
Stanley Almodovar III, 23
Amanda Alvear, 25
Oscar A. Aracena-Montero, 26
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21
Martin Benitez Torres, 33
Antonio D. Brown, 29
Darryl R. Burt II, 29
Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28
Simon A. Carrillo Fernandez, 31
Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25
Luis D. Conde, 39
Cory J. Connell, 21
Tevin E. Crosby, 25
Franky J. Dejesus Velazquez, 50
Deonka D. Drayton, 32
Mercedez M. Flores, 26
Juan R. Guerrero, 22
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22
Paul T. Henry, 41
Frank Hernandez, 27
Miguel A. Honorato, 30
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40
Jason B. Josaphat, 19
Eddie J. Justice, 30
Anthony L. Laureano Disla, 25
Christopher A. Leinonen, 32
Brenda L. Marquez McCool, 49
Jean C. Mendez Perez, 35
Akyra Monet Murray, 18
Kimberly Morris, 37
Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27
Luis O. Ocasio-Capo, 20
Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25
Eric I. Ortiz-Rivera, 36
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32
Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24
Christopher J. Sanfeliz, 24
Xavier E. Serrano Rosado, 35
Gilberto R. Silva Menendez, 25
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34
Shane E. Tomlinson, 33
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25
Luis S. Vielma, 22
Luis D. Wilson-Leon, 37
Jerald A. Wright, 31
The American Muslim community swiftly condemned the attack. Prayer vigils for the victims were held at mosques across the country. The Florida mosque where Mateen sometimes worshiped issued a statement condemning the attack and offering condolences to the victims. The Council on American–Islamic Relations called the attack "monstrous" and offered its condolences to the victims, saying, "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." CAIR Florida urged Muslims to donate blood and contribute funds in support of the victims' families.
Many people on social media and elsewhere, including U.S. presidential candidates, members of Congress, other political figures, foreign leaders, and various celebrities, expressed their shock at the event and extended their condolences to those affected. Vigils were held, or are being planned, in various cities and countries around the world to mourn those who were killed in the shooting.
Equality Florida, the state's largest LGBT rights group, started a fundraising page to aid the victims and their families, raising $767,000 in the first nine hours, As of June 15, it raised more than $4.25 million, a record for GoFundMe, and continued to increase quickly. Another fundraising campaign, OneOrlando, was established by Mayor Buddy Dyer. The Walt Disney Company, which operates the nearby Walt Disney World Resort, donated $1 million to the Mayor's fund.
The 70th Tony Awards ceremony, held the evening of the attack, was dedicated to the victims of the shooting, to whom host James Corden paid tribute in his opening monologue. Lin-Manuel Miranda recited a sonnet that he composed in honor of the dead upon accepting the Tony Award for Best Original Score for Hamilton.
Seddique released a Dari-language video statement via Facebook on June 13, speaking about his son's actions.
Online Dawah Operations, a Telegram channel believed to be run by ISIL sympathizers, gloated of the attack soon after, while ISIL's channel remained silent about it. Some news outlets reported that ISIL claimed responsibility for the shooting. These reports were based on the Amaq News Agency, an online presence reportedly affiliated with ISIL, writing, "Source to Amaq Agency: The attack that targeted a nightclub for homosexuals in Orlando, Florida and that left more than 100 dead or wounded was carried out by an Islamic State fighter." A June 13 broadcast from the ISIL radio station al-Bayan said Mateen was "one of the soldiers of the caliphate in America", without indicating the group had any foreknowledge of the shooting.
The assailant was identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, an American born to parents of Afghan background. Witnesses said he was a regular patron of the nightclub, and some said he had used gay dating websites in the past. In a 9-1-1 call shortly after the attack began, he swore allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Investigators have not directly linked him to ISIL, and said the attack may have been ISIL-inspired without being ISIL-directed.
On June 11, 2016, Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, was hosting Latin Night, a weekly Saturday-night event drawing a primarily Hispanic crowd. About 320 people were inside the club, which was serving last call drinks at around 2:00 a.m. on June 12. After arriving at the club by van, Omar Mateen approached the building on foot, armed with a SIG Sauer MCX[6] semi-automatic rifle and a 9mm Glock 17 handgun. A uniformed Orlando Police Department (OPD) officer working extra duty engaged Mateen, returning fire at 2:02 a.m. EDT. Mateen was able to enter the building, however, and began shooting patrons. The officer was soon joined by two additional officers who also began engaging Mateen. Mateen then retreated further into the nightclub and began to take patrons hostage. About 100 officers from the OPD and the Orange County Sheriff's Office were first dispatched to the scene.
During the attack, people trapped inside the club called and messaged friends and relatives. Initially, some of them thought the gunshots were firecrackers or part of music. Many described a scene of panic and confusion caused by the loud music and darkness. One person hiding in a bathroom covered herself with the bodies of victims for protection. Some entertainers hid inside a dressing room when the shooting started and escaped the building by crawling out when police removed the air conditioning unit. One of the bartenders said she hid under the glass bar. Many patrons attempted to save the lives of those injured.
According to one of the hostages, Mateen entered a bathroom where people were hiding and opened fire, wounding several. The hostage, who had taken cover inside a stall with others, was injured by bullets and flying pieces of a wall that was hit with bullets. Mateen's rifle then jammed briefly, at which point he stopped firing and took survivors hostage. Two survivors reported Mateen as saying "I don't have a problem with black people" but that he "wouldn't stop his assault until America stopped bombing his country". Other survivors heard Mateen claim that he had explosives as well as snipers stationed around the club. Hostages called or texted 9-1-1 to warn of the possible presence of explosives.
At 2:09 a.m. EDT, several minutes after the gunfire started, the club posted on its Facebook page, "Everyone get out of pulse and keep running". At 2:22 a.m. EDT, Mateen made a 9-1-1 call in which he expressed sympathy for Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bombers, and made a reference to Moner Mohammad Abu Salha, an acquaintance of his who died in a suicide bombing in Syria in 2014. Mateen said he was inspired by Abu Salha's death for the Al-Nusra Front, and despite their being at war with ISIL, claimed allegiance to the latter organization. According to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials, Mateen made two other 9-1-1 calls during the shooting.
At 2:45 a.m., Mateen called News 13 of Orlando and said, "I am the shooter." The Washington Post reports that he "then said he had carried out the Pulse attack for the Islamic State and began speaking quickly in Arabic". The TV station's managing editor matched the incoming phone number to Mateen. Dozens of additional first responders—including OPD officers, Orange County sheriff's deputies, and FBI agents, as well as paramedics and firefighters from three fire departments—reported to the scene. A crisis negotiator was present as Mateen was holed up inside and holding hostages. Officers initially believed he was armed with a "device" that posed a threat, but it was later revealed to be an exit sign or smoke detector that had fallen down. Due to the nature of the situation, officers said they had to wait for three hours in order to have a full assessment of the incident, wait for armored vehicles, and ensure they had enough personnel.
The injured police officer's Kevlar helmet from the incident, showing the impact of a bullet
At 3:58 a.m. EDT, the OPD announced to the public that there was a shooting at the club, and that there were multiple injuries. According to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Mateen claimed to police during negotiations that he planned to strap bombs to four hostages and strategically place them in different corners of the building.
Before 5:00 a.m. EDT, Mateen entered the bathroom stall where the hostages were hiding and fired three shots, killing one person Immediately afterwards, at around 5:00 a.m. EDT, SWAT officers entered the building by driving an armored vehicle through a wall, then used two flash-bangs to distract Mateen. Mateen was shot and killed in the gunfight, which involved eleven officers.
Five minutes later, police said a bomb squad had set off a controlled explosion. At 5:53 a.m. EDT, they confirmed Mateen's death. Thirty hostages were freed during the police operation; one officer received a shot to his head, but his helmet reduced the impact so it was non-lethal, and he was hospitalized for minor eye injuries. Many of the survivors were searched by police for guns and explosives. Once the officers entered the building, they found 39 bodies, including Mateen's, inside the club. Another two were found outside.
38 victims and the perpetrator died at the scene, and 11 other victims were pronounced dead at local hospitals. Many were taken to the Orlando Regional Medical Center, the primary regional trauma center, located three blocks from the nightclub; others were taken to two other area hospitals. The names and ages of the victims killed were confirmed by the City of Orlando after next of kin had been notified:
Stanley Almodovar III, 23
Amanda Alvear, 25
Oscar A. Aracena-Montero, 26
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21
Martin Benitez Torres, 33
Antonio D. Brown, 29
Darryl R. Burt II, 29
Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28
Simon A. Carrillo Fernandez, 31
Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25
Luis D. Conde, 39
Cory J. Connell, 21
Tevin E. Crosby, 25
Franky J. Dejesus Velazquez, 50
Deonka D. Drayton, 32
Mercedez M. Flores, 26
Juan R. Guerrero, 22
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22
Paul T. Henry, 41
Frank Hernandez, 27
Miguel A. Honorato, 30
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40
Jason B. Josaphat, 19
Eddie J. Justice, 30
Anthony L. Laureano Disla, 25
Christopher A. Leinonen, 32
Brenda L. Marquez McCool, 49
Jean C. Mendez Perez, 35
Akyra Monet Murray, 18
Kimberly Morris, 37
Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27
Luis O. Ocasio-Capo, 20
Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25
Eric I. Ortiz-Rivera, 36
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32
Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24
Christopher J. Sanfeliz, 24
Xavier E. Serrano Rosado, 35
Gilberto R. Silva Menendez, 25
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34
Shane E. Tomlinson, 33
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25
Luis S. Vielma, 22
Luis D. Wilson-Leon, 37
Jerald A. Wright, 31
The American Muslim community swiftly condemned the attack. Prayer vigils for the victims were held at mosques across the country. The Florida mosque where Mateen sometimes worshiped issued a statement condemning the attack and offering condolences to the victims. The Council on American–Islamic Relations called the attack "monstrous" and offered its condolences to the victims, saying, "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." CAIR Florida urged Muslims to donate blood and contribute funds in support of the victims' families.
Many people on social media and elsewhere, including U.S. presidential candidates, members of Congress, other political figures, foreign leaders, and various celebrities, expressed their shock at the event and extended their condolences to those affected. Vigils were held, or are being planned, in various cities and countries around the world to mourn those who were killed in the shooting.
Equality Florida, the state's largest LGBT rights group, started a fundraising page to aid the victims and their families, raising $767,000 in the first nine hours, As of June 15, it raised more than $4.25 million, a record for GoFundMe, and continued to increase quickly. Another fundraising campaign, OneOrlando, was established by Mayor Buddy Dyer. The Walt Disney Company, which operates the nearby Walt Disney World Resort, donated $1 million to the Mayor's fund.
The 70th Tony Awards ceremony, held the evening of the attack, was dedicated to the victims of the shooting, to whom host James Corden paid tribute in his opening monologue. Lin-Manuel Miranda recited a sonnet that he composed in honor of the dead upon accepting the Tony Award for Best Original Score for Hamilton.
Seddique released a Dari-language video statement via Facebook on June 13, speaking about his son's actions.
Online Dawah Operations, a Telegram channel believed to be run by ISIL sympathizers, gloated of the attack soon after, while ISIL's channel remained silent about it. Some news outlets reported that ISIL claimed responsibility for the shooting. These reports were based on the Amaq News Agency, an online presence reportedly affiliated with ISIL, writing, "Source to Amaq Agency: The attack that targeted a nightclub for homosexuals in Orlando, Florida and that left more than 100 dead or wounded was carried out by an Islamic State fighter." A June 13 broadcast from the ISIL radio station al-Bayan said Mateen was "one of the soldiers of the caliphate in America", without indicating the group had any foreknowledge of the shooting.
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