50 people have been shot dead in an Orlando nightclub, with 53 more wounded and receiving treatment in hospital. The gunman, identified now by officials as Omar Mateen, began firing inside popular LGBT club Pulse at around 2am on Sunday. Mateen was killed while exchanging fire with police as they broke into the club to rescue people Mateen was holding hostage. It’s the deadliest mass shooting in US history, and a state of emergency has now been declared across Orlando.
As of yet no official motive has been confirmed, although Mateen’s father gave a statement to NBC news suggesting that his son had been made angry by seeing two men kissing in Miami and added that the tragedy is “nothing to do with religion”. Pulse is described as Orlando’s premier gay club, making this attack a truly dark day for the world’s LGBT community.
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the shooting, and with those who have lost their lives.
