The gunman, a person of interest to the FBI in 2013 and 2014, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State: report.
A gunman killed more than 50 people and injured another 53 in the worst terror attack in the United States since 9/11, according to police.
The massacre at Pulse, a gay night club in Pulse, an Orlando, FL, nightclub, began at 2 am on Sunday morning.
The gunman, who was killed by police in a shootout, was identified as Omar Mateen, an American citizen of Afghan descent.
The killer “had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State before the attack,” the Washington Post quoted law enforcement officials as saying. The FBI was investigating the attack as an act of terrorism, it reported.
Mir Seddique, Manteen’s father, however told NBC News that “this has nothing to do with religion.” Seddique said his son got angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami a couple of months ago and thinks that may be related to the shooting.”
RELATED: 50 killed, 53 injured in Florida gay club shooting
Manteen, a trained security guard, lived in Fort Pierce, FL, about 100 miles from the shooting site. He was reportedly a person of interest to the FBI in 2013 and 2014. The attack is believed to be an act of terror. However, authorities are unclear on whether or not it was a hate crime.
The death toll makes the Pulse massacre the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. In 2007, a gunman had killed 32 on the Virginia Tech campus. It is also the deadliest attack on LGBT people in American history. The deadliest until now was 1973 Upstairs Lounge arson attack, which left 32 dead.
Armed with an AR-15 style assault rifle and handgun, the gunman entered Pulse, a popular nightclub early Sunday morning at about 2 am. According to reports, he proceeded to open fire on the nearly 300 partygoers in the club. Many eyewitnesses report that they heard several gunshots, which at first they mistook for being a part of the music. Luis Burbano, who was inside Pulse at the time, told CNN that the “pop, pop, pop, they were hearing wasn’t the music, but gunfire.”
After noticing a break, in between shootings, Burbano and his friend managed to make a beeline for the door, as chaos erupted.
“We tried to save ourselves and as many people as we could to make it out of there,” he told CNN.
The gunman held hostages inside the club for nearly 3 hours, until a SWAT team with an armored vehicle and stun grenades, used controlled explosives to blow the door open.
<strong>Video from the scene of crime</strong>
<strong>Social Media Update</strong>
Pulse shooting: In hail of gunfire in which suspect was killed, OPD officer was hit. Kevlar helmet saved his life. pic.twitter.com/MAb0jGi7r4
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 12, 2016
As soon as we have any information we will update everyone. Please keep everyone in your prayers as we work… https://t.co/3EY0fQ926m
— Pulse Orlando (@pulseorlando) June 12, 2016
. @orlandomayor Our community is strong. We will need to help each other's get through this. pic.twitter.com/XyUa8g5PT8
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 12, 2016
. @ChiefJohnMina multiple people dead inside the club. Many casualties transported to hospitals. pic.twitter.com/0Lf69tClad
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 12, 2016