Orlando

From the BBC:

"Orlando gay nightclub shooting: 50 killed, suspect is Omar Mateen"

Fifty people are now known to have died in a shooting in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the city's mayor Buddy Dyer has said. The gunman, named by officials as Omar Mateen, was killed after taking hostages at the Pulse club. President Barack Obama said Americans were united in grief, outrage and "resolve to defend our people" after "an act of terror and an act of hate". The attack is the worst mass shooting in recent US history.  Officials said the killings were likely to be ideologically motivated, though there was no information that the gunman was associated with a particular group. However, US Congressman Alan Grayson said it was "no coincidence" the attack happened in a gay club.  "It may be we've seen the commission of an awful hate crime," he added. Mateen's father Mir Seddique told NBC News that the incident had nothing to do with religion, and may have been triggered by the sight of a gay couple kissing in Miami. But NBC News reported that Mateen called the emergency services before the attack and swore allegiance to the so-called Islamic State militant group. The group later said - via its affiliated Amaq news agency - that an IS "fighter" had carried out the attack. The claim did not specify whether IS was directly involved or simply taking credit for inspiring the attack.  Mr Obama described the attack as "the brutal murder of dozens of innocent people". "It was an act of terror and an act of hate," he said, adding that it was a heartbreaking day for the LGBT community.  An attack on any American is an attack on all, he added. "We are united in grief, in outrage and resolve to defend our people." Mr Obama ordered flags on federal buildings to be flown at half mast until sunset on Thursday, AP reported. French President Francois Hollande expressed "horror" at the killings, and said Americans had the "full support of France" in this "difficult time". Pope Francis condemned the "homicidal folly" of the shooting. It is believed that the suspect, who was a US citizen from the Florida town of Port St Lucie and was of Afghan descent, was not on a terrorism watch list, although he was being investigated for an unrelated criminal act.  The death toll of 50 given by Mayor Dyer means that the Orlando attack surpasses the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech which left 32 people dead. Another 53 people were injured in the shooting. "Today we're dealing with something that we never imagined and is unimaginable," he said, adding that there was "an enormous amount of havoc" and "blood everywhere". "Because of the scale of the crime I've asked the [Florida] governor to declare a state of emergency," he said.  "We're also issuing a state of emergency for the city of Orlando so that we can bring additional resources to bear to deal with the aftermath." Security has also been boosted for the last day of the Capital Pride LGBT festival in Washington DC, which included a moment of silence for the Orlando victims at 13:00 local time, the Washington Post reported. Orlando Police Chief John Mina said the attack began at 02:00 (06:00 GMT). There was an exchange of fire with a police officer working at the club, but it is unclear whether that was inside or outside the venue. 

^ I do think this was a terrorist act by a Muslim extremist (whether he was part of IS, Al-Qaida, the Talban, etc. is another story.) He clearly wanted to murder gay people and he did. In many Arab and Muslim countries homosexuality is illegal and they do kill gay people so there's a tie between religion and his choice of victims. They say that those that protest so much against homosexuals tend to be closeted gays so it's something to think about - whether in a Muslim/Arab country, Russia, Jamaica, or any country where homosexuality is illegal.  It's one thing to not agree with something or someone and another to openly discriminate and/or kill them. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36512308