Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton also said the attack was an act of "terror" and "hate", expressing her solidarity with the LGBT community and pledging to "redouble our efforts to defend our country from threats at home and abroad". Orlando gunman called 911 moments before shooting and pledged allegiance to leader of ISIS, sources tell NBC News - NBC News June 12, 2016Īddressing the nation on Sunday afternoon, President Barack Obama said the nightclub shooting in Orlando was an "act of terror" and an "act of hate", a “sobering reminder” that an attack on any American, regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation, was an attack “on all of us”. where he killed and injured more than a hundred of them before he was killed," the group said in a broadcast on its Albayan Radio.Īlthough the group claimed responsibility, this did not necessarily mean it directed the attack: there was nothing in the claim indicating coordination between the gunman and the jihadist outfit before the rampage. "One of the Caliphate's soldiers in America carried out a security invasion where he was able to enter a crusader gathering at a nightclub for homosexuals in Orlando, Florida. The IS group reiterated on Monday a claim of responsibility for the attack. Mateen bought at least two guns legally within the last week or so, according to Trevor Velinor of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, AP reported.
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He was gunned down after police used explosives and a small armored vehicle to punch a hole in a wall and allow dozens of club-goers to escape, police said. He opened fire at the Orlando club with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in such close quarters that the bullets could hardly miss. Police Chief John Mina said officers held back for some time because Mateen indicated he had a bomb vest. In addition to the assault rifle, he also had a handgun. Mateen exchanged gunfire with 14 police officers at the club and took hostages at one point. His ex-wife described him as mentally unstable and violent toward her. His father said on Sunday his son was not radicalized, but indicated Mateen had strong anti-gay feelings.
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Mateen, 29, called emergency services during the shooting and pledged allegiance to the leader of the militant Islamic State (IS) group, officials said. The gunman, Omar Mateen, a New York-born Florida resident and US citizen who was the son of Afghan immigrants, was shot and killed by police who stormed the club with armored cars after a three-hour siege. The FBI and other law enforcement authorities were poring over evidence that could explain the motives for the massacre, which President Barack Obama denounced as an act of terror and hate. embassies.īiden issued an executive order on Friday that required all federal agencies to evaluate the current state of diversity, equity and inclusion within their workforces and produce plans to address any issues.Family and friends of victims trapped at the Pulse nightclub waited anxiously on Monday to find out whether their loved ones were among the 49 people killed and 53 wounded in the deadly rampage. military and on flying rainbow Pride flags at U.S. He also reversed a Trump-era ban on transgender people openly serving in the U.S. He has ordered federal agencies to protect LGBTQ people under federal anti-discrimination laws. The new Orlando site will join other memorials, including the National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco and New York City's Stonewall Inn, a national monument commemorating what is seen as the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement following riots after police raided the gay bar in 1969.īiden has sought to reverse course from former President Donald Trump, who did not officially recognize Pride month. But civil rights activists said the massacre was also a hate crime targeting gay men and Latinos frequenting the club. In Florida, authorities branded the 2016 shooting an act of extremism by a 29-year-old U.S. "We must protect the gains we've made," he said. states do not have specific protections for LGBTQ+ Americans and their families. diplomacy and foreign assistance include LGBTQ rights.Īfter signing the legislation, Biden noted that half of U.S. On Friday, he named Jessica Stern, head of the New York-based human rights group OutRight Action International, to be a special envoy at the U.S.
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"Our presence this afternoon makes a very strong statement: Pride is back at the White House," Biden said, after being introduced by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is openly gay, and a young transgender man, Ashton Mota.