Just after a husband and wife killed 14 people last December in a terror attack in San Bernardino, Calif., one of the shooters went on Facebook and pledged her allegiance to the emir of the self-proclaimed Islamic State. The official said it is “unclear” when this alleged pledge to the militant group, also known as the Islamic State and ISIL, was made. “It could have been as simple as a statement shouted at police during the three-hour standoff,” the official said. official said that Department of Homeland Security reports being circulated to government authorities are “referring to local law enforcement reports saying the shooter pledged loyalty to ISIS and was heard praying in another language in the nightclub.” Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said he was briefed Sunday and told that local law enforcement officials said the gunman had “declared his allegiance to ISIS.”Ī U.S. While police have not publicly identified the gunman, law enforcement officials and relatives on Sunday identified him as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old from Fort Pierce, Fla. A clearer timeline of what happened inside the club and when all of the victims were injured.Identities of all of the people killed and injured.A possible motivation for the gunman and more about his background.In the aftermath of the shooting, officials said many things remained unknown, including: “Fifty victims in one location, one shooting, is absolutely one of the worst tragedies we’ve seen.” “It’s absolutely terrible,” Mina said during a news briefing. Officials say at least 50 people were killed and dozens more were injured in the shooting. or during the shootout with police three hours later. Orlando Police Chief John Mina said that the toll from this latest mass slaughter could have been even greater, saying that a SWAT team “rescued at least 30 possible victims and brought them to safety.” Police said they were not able to say if all of the people killed or injured were shot during the initial burst of gunfire at 2 a.m. Until Sunday, the 2007 rampage at Virginia Tech - which saw 32 people killed and 30 others injured - was the country’s worst mass shooting. Police had said earlier Sunday that 20 people were killed before saying that the toll was significantly higher. It was not immediately clear if the death toll included the gunman. Police said that after a first round of gunshots at 2 a.m., the shooter took hostages for about three hours, until officers who went inside to rescue these people killed the gunman in a shootout. ORLANDO - A gunman opened fire inside a crowded nightclub here early Sunday morning, killing 50 people and injuring 53 others in a rampage that was the deadliest mass shooting in the country’s history.Īuthorities in Orlando said Sunday that the siege at Pulse, a popular gay bar and dance club, was quickly deemed an act of domestic terrorism. JOrlando nightclub shooting: 50 killed in ‘domestic terror incident’ at gay club gunman identified (Washington Post)