Update: According to the latest reports, at least fifty people were killed, and more than fifty wounded.
An Islamic terrorist named Omar Mateen attacked patrons at a gay nightclub in Orlando in the wee hours of this morning, killing 20 people and wounding dozens of others. The attacker was shot and killed by police.
The remarkable thing about this story is how quickly the FBI used the “I” word. Less than seven hours after the shooting started they’re referring to it as Islamic terrorism. This is very unusual — has something changed?
Check Gateway Pundit for breaking news. I haven’t seen an article on this in The Daily Mail yet.
From The Washington Times:
Omar Mateen Identified as Pulse Nightclub Gunman
Omar Mateen has been identified as the Pulse nightclub gunman who killed 20 people during a rampage Sunday morning, CBS reported.
Mateen, 29, was a U.S. citizen from Port St. Lucie, Fla., the network added.
He was killed after a showdown with police inside the nightclub. His parents are from Afghanistan and authorities are investigating whether he had ties to Islamic extremists, CBS said.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Danny Banks says the mass shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism.
He says authorities are looking into whether this was an act of domestic or international terror, and if the shooter was a lone wolf.
Orlando Police Chief John Mina says the shooter was armed with an assault-type rifle, a handgun and some type of suspicious device.
Police had said previously on Twitter that there was a “controlled explosion” at the scene of the shooting at Pulse Orlando. Mina says that noise was caused by a device intended to distract the shooter.
From The New York Daily News:
Terror Attack at Orlando Gay Club Leaves About 20 People Dead
A terrorist opened fire inside a popular Orlando gay club near closing time early Sunday leaving “approximately” 20 people dead and 42 others wounded in one of the deadliest American mass shootings, according to authorities.
The 2 a.m. attack was “well organized and well prepared,” said local cops as FBI officials painted the attack as domestic terror. The shooter, who was not from the Orlando area, may have had “leanings” toward radical Islam, Special Agent Danny Banks revealed.
Cops killed the lone gunman and found multiple victims dead inside the Pulse nightclub, about four hours after the closing time bloodbath sparked a tense standoff with police.
Police bombarded the club with a “controlled explosion” to distract the shooter and rescue about 30 hostages hiding in bathrooms. Nine officers fatally shot at the suspect armed with an assault-type rifle, a handgun and “some type of device.”
A bullet struck an officer’s Kevlar helmet that police Chief John Mina cited for saving the cop’s life during the gun battle.
An officer working at the nightclub was first to confront the unidentified shooter outside the club as about 320 people partied inside. The attacker moved his assault indoors, opened fire and took hostages as terrified club goers fled.
The shooting happened during Pride Month, a national LGBT celebration honoring the Stonewall riots in 1969. The club hosted a “Latin Night” on Saturday, according to its Facebook page.
Here’s a partial timeline from a local Florida TV station:
‘We Consider This an Act of Terrorism, ‘ 20 Dead Inside Pulse Nightclub, Officials Say
7:14 a.m. update
During a press conference Sunday morning, Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokesman Danny Banks officially classified the shootings at Pulse Nightclub as an “act of terrorism.”
About 20 people were killed during the incident, officials said.
Raw: OPD, FBI, mayor news conference on mass shooting at nightclub
The FBI, along with numerous other agencies, was investigating the shooting and it was not clear if it was an act of domestic or foreign terrorism.
There was no indication that more shootings were planned in Orlando or the state of Florida, Banks said.
During the same press conference, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer confirmed that numerous people were killed during the attack.
“Tonight, we had a crime that will have a lasting effect on our community,” he said.
Raw: Robot sent into club to check for suspicious device
Orlando Police Chief John Mina said the department was currently working to remove any “devices” the shooter may have left behind.
An OPD officer working at Pulse was the first to respond and exchange gunfire with the shooter, Mina said.
The shooter holed up in a bathroom with hostages and at about 5 a.m. “the decision was made to rescue the hostages that were in there,” Mina said.
During the assault, “our officers shot the suspect,” he said.
The suspect “had a device on him,” prompting a search for others that may be at the scene, he said.
Dozens of witnesses in #pulseshooting bussed to @OrlandoPolice headquarters for questioning.@WFTV pic.twitter.com/Jay6mDa9aH
6:55 a.m. update
Orlando Police ask for witnesses at the Pulse Nightclub to meet them at OPD Headquarters. Read instructions here.
6:30 a.m. update
Orlando Police tell Eyewitness News investigators will update the situation at the Pulse Nightclub during a live news conference at 7 a.m.
5:57 a.m. update
Shooter at Pulse Nightclub is dead inside the club, OPD said.
The circumstances of the shooters death were not immediately released.
Pulse Shooting: The shooter inside the club is dead.
The shooting situation at Pulse has been designated a “mass casualty situation,” OPD said.
The department is receiving assistance from other local, state and federal agencies, it said.
We can confirm this is a mass casualty situation. Support from local/state/federal agencies. We expect to brief media shortly.
5:33 a.m. update
Orlando Regional Medical Center was put on lockdown Sunday morning after several gunshot patients were brought in for treatment, the hospital said in a release.
Only essential workers were being allowed access to the building, it said.
Out of caution, Arnold Palmer Hospital and Winnie Palmer were also place on lockdown.
5:05 a.m. update
Numerous sources report hearing an explosion in the area of the Pulse Nightclub shooting.
Police said it was “a controlled explosion by law enforcement” on the OPD Twitter page.
No information was released on why authorities set off an explosion.
It was reported that 40 people were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center with injuries.
The condition of those at the hospital was not immediately released.
5 a.m.
Officials have not released many details on the situation going on right now at Pulse Nightclub, 1912 S. Orange Ave., in Orlando.
According to the Orlando Police Department Twitter feed, there was a shooting at the club with “multiple injuries.”
OPD warned people to stay away from the area…
Hat tip: Vlad Tepes.
Was this a hate crime?
Nope. It was jihad
Pull yourselves together……this is nothing but an isolated case of a mentally ill person turning bad. I have just heard the facts on the radio broadcast here in NZ.
…..hope the sarcasm is noted!
If this incident doesn’t wake people up, nothing will and we are lost.
If the Trade Towers atrocity didn’t wake people up–and now 15 years later it seems largely forgotten–you are indeed lost, just like the rest of the western world.
In today’s world moslems are hired in all capacities, even as security at airports, FGS! In the military, hospitals, food production, schools, administration, government, etc., and this in spite of the fact that islam has never changed–it is still the implacable enemy it was 1400 years ago!
We are watching the most improbable, incredible event in human history–we watch, stunned, as our leaders have thrown open our borders and actually invited the enemy into our countries, our towns, our houses! Not only that, but we are taxed to support our enemy, who is accorded superior status, while our own people who allowed this to happen; ordered it even, walk free….
Yes, it is incredible that the West seems bent on ethnically cleansing itself out of existence.
I am acquainted with a couple foot soldiers in this effort, unmarried, childless women in their late 30s/early 40s. The depth of their programming is frightening to behold…
“we watch, stunned, as our leaders . . . ”
I suspect you may have identified the real problem.
“We are watching the most improbable, incredible event in human history–we watch, stunned, as our leaders have thrown open our borders and actually invited the enemy into our countries, our towns, our houses!”
It’s not really unique. This is the way the Roman Empire ended, after making barbarians Roman citizens.
For starters thank Affirmative Action and the EOEC for forcing companies to hire Muslims or else. Bush and Obama helped as well, opening employment doors for Muslims in government sectors that would have been otherwise off-limits.
Also it’s not just our leaders but the MSM as well. They’ve been running a endless stream of spin masters since 9/11 to whitewash Islam. Liberal Academia has destroyed our university system so it puts out hordes of unthinking idiot footsoldiers for the Left.
That said, the people who are now woken up to the threat Islam poses at probably all we’ll ever have. As for the rest, if they haven’t woken up by now they never will.
That’s what I said ten years ago. Unless the West begins to show signs soon of recognizing that a) mainstream Islam is the main source & inspiration & blueprint of terrorism, and b) all Muslims in myriad ways enable Islam (see (a)), Muslims will be able — perhaps before the 22nd century begins — to reduce our precious civilization to zones of violent disorder, civil unrest, and killing fields; and from there to leverage a “Byzantium II” (conquest of our dear old West).
It will be interesting to see how this brings out the cognitive dissonance on the Left. Perhaps the greatest obfuscation by the Left in our time is the refusal to think through where gays and the poor, oppressed Muslims fall on the pecking order of claim to “rights” and privileges.
It’s a contradictory collision-course.
As we know, for the Left, the extent to which a group feels oppressed is the only “objective” standard by which to judge the extent that rights — or pity — are to be accorded to said victim group — rights often circumventing the dispassionate rule of law.
The most telling sign of Hillary Clinton’s intellectual-moral corruption is her contradictory, simultaneous defense of LGBT/feminism and her helping to spearhead UN Resolution 16/18, in collaboration with some of the world’s most despotic Islamist regimes, to outlaw criticism of Islam.
I’ve noted for years that the PC MCs (and the Left, two distinct but overlapping demographics in the West, the latter including millions of non-Leftists, [screed against the Counterjihad redacted]) have a totem pole hierarchy of minorities & causes, with Muslims at the top of the food chain.
This means that if any other minority or cause happens to conflict with the “respect” and “rights” due to Muslims, the Muslims win out and the other group gets thrown under the bus — whether gays, women, blacks, Latinos, whatever.
The refreshingly incorrect Katie Hopkins, for example, has noted that —
“Islam supports homophobia. If I object to this homophobia, it’s called Islamophobia, seen as ‘worse’. We have a new hierarchy of phobias.”
For more details, see:
Katie Hopkins notices Auster’s “First Law of Majority/Minority Relations”
http://hesperado.blogspot.com/2016/04/katie-hopkins-notices-austers-first-law.html
Unlike the Left, Katie Hopkins tells it like it is.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/06/14/15/354480E000000578-0-image-a-119_1465913237155.jpg
So we have a killer just coming out of the (peace loving) woodwork, they cannot pin this one on ‘workplace violence’ so it will have to be the ‘insanity’ excuse….
All that surveillance, all that loss of our freedoms and they still missed him because they are not looking in the right places, they are not looking in the (moderate) mosques, they are not looking in the social ‘clubs’ because they don’t (are not allowed to) know their enemy.
To know the enemy is to be racist and Islamophobic…..
They think in fantasies, they think that Allah is Yahovah, they think that Mohammed is benevolent like Yahushua, they have to because the real truth is not politically correct or acceptable…..
They haven’t a clue.
It is time to start purging every politician on the muslim payroll, to reconvene the House un-American Activities Committee and see who the real traitors are…..
MC-
The media will pin this one on “mental illness/feelings of isolation/repressed homosexuality.”
They will spin it as the US being so culturally alienating and homophobic that it forced this individual to go out, purchase weapons, and engage in mass slaughter.
The solutions the media push will involve more unchecked immigration, more promotion of alternative lifestyles as normal, and draconian new gun control laws.
Yep, that covers all the bases.
It will be intensely interesting to see America’s ‘progressive gays’ spin THIS one.
Within 36 hours, this will be all about “gun control”. Wait and see.
That will include prominent gay spokesmen, I bet.
I hope Milo Yannopoulos (a rare gay activist from the UK who is well on his way to becoming anti-Islam) in response issues a scathing tongue-lashing to his fellow gays on You Tube
And even within hours the brutal counterattack on Islam has begun. Candlelight vigils! Weepy hug-fests! Sing-alongs. Flags at half mast! The whole brutal arsenal of Western islamophobia!
That will teach them not to mess with America! By the way my arm is getting tired from holding up my ‘Charlie Hebdo Pencil’ – can I put it down yet?
Not a prominent gay spokesman, but the POTUS is already blaming the easy availability of guns. Over at Jihad Watch, they are quoting an ACLU lawyer called Chase Strangio as blaming the GOP and the Christian right for causing all the homophobia. Just before the Orlando news broke, a friend on Facebook published a photo of a march by ‘LGBT against Islamophobia’ with the caption ‘Do we tell them the truth? or Let them find out for themselves?’ It was horribly prophetic, but it would appear that they have not made the connections necessary to find out for themselves.
Yeah, Norway – as I’m writing – one of three main news papers – Dagbladet do have the “gun control” angel in place, pretty much a message telling: “We do not need more Americans with weapons”. The “journalist” – is conserned: the world may not be the same again. Trump can make some political points. People can change their views on immigration, muslims etc.
Update – while writing – Dagbladet changed the headline to: “A blood spilling attack on all of us.” (including muslims that is – you know the drill)
The conclusion of the article is a horrifying study in empty leftist retoric – and relativistic cultural marxisme. But its also revealing – the leftist press are imploding on their own lies – their desperation is more and more visible.
Sorry about my English – heres my translation of the conclusion of this leftist “hit-piece”:
“The answer to the terror and hatred must not be guided by irrational fears . We must not allow the terrorists hate to lead to victories. We do not need more armed Americans. We need no more Islamophobia and racism. We must continue to protect people’s rights , privacy and integrity. We must continue to cherish our democratic values . More than ever it is important that we go out to dance, sing – preferably at a gay night-club.”
Interesting position from the country that produced that other lone gunman who murdered dozens of innocents, Anders Breivik. Norway’s establishment went on a purge of everybody associated with Breivik. So of course they will now look very hard at Islamic extremism, right?
“Innocents?” Tomorrow’s lefties.
I bet that – with one notable exception – the club was a GUN FREE ZONE.
Do not go to “any” gun free zones – period. Arm up 24/7. All gun free zones should be renamed – a free kill zone.
Wake up America – protect your loved ones – the police only clean up the mess!
Depends on what kind of police…on a tip from Kevin Short [politicallyshort.com] on Twitter, did a google search for the killer’s employer.
G4S
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-06-12/orlando-shooter-worked-security-company-which-tranports-illegal-immigrants-deep-insi
Go to Zero H to get the details, some of them are images.
Thanks Dymphna – It keeps getting crazier!
PS: will donate to Ed Cline before the evening is over.
G4S bungled their contract for the security of the 2012 London Olympics; it was handed over to the military only days before the opening.
Anywhere alcohol is served is practically a gun free zone. Concealed carry is forbidden.
I will deal with the jury if I need to use my weapon. I ignore the signs every day. If I see metal detectors, I will not enter.
If out with friends, and they enter, I leave. You make your choices, and then deal with the consequences.
Waiting for the lecture from Washington attacking gun laws and warning all of us not to engage in Islamophobia. Or will this possibly turn the left around to face reality? One can hope…
Absolutely nothing will ever make those brainwashed sociopathic SOBs face up to reality. It’s just not in them.
And it looks like we have yet another “known wolf” — he was on some watch lists for potential terrorists, but wasn’t doing anything law enforcement could act upon.
And to continue the pattern, the usual parade of family and clergy beating their breasts in apology, claiming he was “misguided,” an “angry youth,” and of course nothing to do with Islam, nothing to see.
I was explaining to my husband about taqiyya, and how it gives Muslims permission to say whatever will cozen infidels. It’s hard, because we *want* to believe the best of others, but it pretty much means we have to assume all Muslim overtures of peace and love are straight-up lies.
I see from Twitter the left are in complete denial. The time for trying to convince these people is over, it is a waste of time, they are either with or against us.
Not just the Left are in denial.
Gentlemen, in order to make any sense of the current Muslim problem, keep in mind the following:
(1) The almighty God of heaven, who is in control of all human events, has seen to it that the Muslims, somehow, will be sent to us, as he has warned us he would, in response to a nation’s spiritual unrepentance and rejection of his soul-saving gospel. God prophesied in Revelation 9:14-19 about his curse called Islam, which he specifically would raise up in New Testament times, which he would send as a punishment upon those church members who had fallen away from the true gospel faith. He has simply raised up one evil to punish another one. This is not unusual with God, but standard.
(2) Nationalistic politics, or even military force will all fail to cast out the Muslims, since God will neutralize even the best of human efforts until he no longer would be in a punishing mode.
(3) In order to cast out the Muslims successfully, a nation first will need to have God’s blessing on their efforts, for “Unless the Lord would build the house, they will labor in vain who would build it” (Psalm 127:1).
(4) That is, in order to have this divine blessing of a successful result, a nation will have to put itself on the Lord’s side again. How? By repenting of its sins, and by no longer rejecting God and his saving gospel.
(5) Until this would be done, the Almighty will maintain a level of successful Muslim warfare. That is, God will keep punishing nations by Islamic warfare until he is through.
Gentlemen, correct this matter in the biblical manner! Revolve to do it!
Sound like the ELITE /NWO /EU/bilderburgs wrote that.
God punishes not muslims. The elites want to use muslims to keep the rest of us in line to do the NWO biddings.
I’m sure the club was, what club allows patrons to enter with a rifle? Shades of Bataclan, where the killers had access. Elsewhere it’s reported that he worked as a security guard. Most likely he was inside with the weaponry. Doubtless this will become an anti-constitutional rights campaign. Red/Green never sleep, continually gnawing at the foundation of the country. Time for bold statements, from brave elected officials.
Yes, the I-word being used so quickly is a sign of something changing–Obama is on his way out and a lame duck president has less power and maybe there’s defiance on the part of the FBI since its director can’t be fired by Obama anyway.
And yes, Obama made a speech in which he is trying to blame the attack on lack of gun control.
A few more people will start to wake up–maybe enough to turn an election.
A sitting President can ask for people to resign. Honey child he can come up with any excuse he wants to use.
Already the chief Imam, sorry I mean President Obama is putting the latest atrocity down to gun control and has still yet to utter (choke) on the phrase Islamic Terrorism.
The terrorist’s father has stated his son may have acted upon becoming angry because he recently saw two men kissing and that his atrocity “had nothing to do with religion”. Haven’t we heard that somewhere before.
Would suggest that the whole family is removed with immediate effect, put on a plane back to Afghanistan without any further preamble.
Meanwhile my sympathies go out to the slain and the wounded, the bereaved families and concerned friends and companions.
God bless you all.
“The shooting happened during Pride Month, a national LGBT celebration honoring the Stonewall riots in 1969.”
Who knew that Ramadan is actually homosexual “Pride Month”. Every time a moderate Imam, or CAIR, is trotted out to slather on the taqyyia ask them what they think about that.
Islam puts the ‘I’ in Irony.
Since Islam is on the lunar calendar the time of Ramadan keeps shifting with respect to our calendar. Ramadan can and has occurred at just about any point in our year, so it shouldn’t coincide with gay pride month next year unless the gays change that date.
Compare and contrast:
President Obama delivers statement on Orlando massacre
Ben Carson rips political correctness in wake of Orlando shooting
Bernie Sanders Addresses Orlando Shooting
Senator Jeff Sessions: More of these attacks are coming
Florida Senator Bill Nelson: What is happening to our country
Hillary Clinton Statement on Orlando Terrorist Attack
Trump calls for Obama’s resignation after Orlando shooting
Thanks for that useful list of links!
Woops — the links don’t work (“404 error”)
Annals of Ascending the Learning Curve: Vol I
This continually happens over and over and over. Should a conclusion be drawn? Then what is the conclusion?
humm….thinking… hmmmm….years pass….then
Lightning and thunder:
Hmmm, maybe we should start carrying guns ourselves. For some reason we have that right. Duh. I thought it was for hunting.
Religion of peace in action one more time. Aside from Koran’s direct order to eliminate the infidels, something everyone knows these days, there are numerous contemporary texts that reveal how these sort of things are planned. Let’s review one of the essays:
Of The Enemy, The Muslim Community Tasks
(source: http://www.samamos.com/?p=9453)
The essay first explains who are the enemies of Islam and then gives mandatory tasks to Muslims on how to deal with the enemy in 11 steps:
1. Intimidation and deterrence: […]
2. Avoid province of friendship and accepting affection and Administration: […]
3. Avoid provocative behavior: […]
4. Observe morality and faith: […]
5. Avoid abuses: […]
6. Intimidation and strengthening military: strengthening the military system and dismaying the enemies of God as much as possible, is a faithful duty according to verse 60 of Surah Al-Anfal’s Muslims that God is emphasized.
7. Spend and invest in the military sphere: […]
8. Avoidance and expressing hatred: Expressing disgust and repudiation of their wills are the other duties of Muslims and the Islamic community.
9. Relinquish friendship: the Nation of Islam are not allowed to express friendship toward enemies , even if relatives, and love them and treat them kindly.
10. Suppression of enemy: destroy enemies, is a duty for Muslims in verses 12 and 13 of Surah Al-Anfal expressed.
11. Relinquish compromise when in power: reconciliation with enemies of the religion, in the case of having superior power, is prohibited by the divinity and Islamic nation has no right to compromise with the enemy in the event of power.
They have reached step.6 now. Better move your bottoms before step.11 strikes.
Bottom of the comment list, but here’s my offering.
It’s a tragedy. This should not happen in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
But we need to re-evaluate what that means.
How about Congress pass a law – against the current pResidents veto – that, wait, Congress shall pass no Law,,,
In My Opinion, no adherent to the “religion of peace” should be allowed to purchase, or own weapons of any kind, right down to a sling-shot, or a stick bigger/longer than their, um, manhood.
But that is a violation of the Constitution, and it won’t stop them anyway.
Guns are illegal in France, as is saying one word against islam, and 128 were still murdered there, with guns, while the perps screamed for allah.
Death by islam will not end until islam is dead.
I am very skeptical that this ‘lone wolf’, actually a ‘known wolf’ ( it has been alleged he was on the radar of the FBI, and passed over as usual for who knows what reason) carried out this massacre unaided, there is a possibility that he had planning and set up aid, who would then fade away and work on the next terror massacre.
I don’t think he was that smart. He was a Rage Boy, according to his wife and co-workers. Short fuse could be set off by mention of women, gays, whatever subject made him foam at the mouth.
But many of them will be cooler than that. He was born and raised here. Those coming in through the southern border are blooded ISIS veterans. They won’t be like this guy.
Yes, he was born and raised here — by a father who admired the Taliban:
In one video, the elder Mateen expresses gratitude toward the Afghan Taliban, while denouncing the Pakistani government.
“Our brothers in Waziristan, our warrior brothers in [the] Taliban movement and national Afghan Taliban are rising up,” he said. “Inshallah the Durand Line issue will be solved soon.”
It is unclear if his statements ever attracted the attention of the FBI.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/ex-wife-of-suspected-orlando-shooter-he-beat-me/2016/06/12/8a1963b4-30b8-11e6-8ff7-7b6c1998b7a0_story.html
Home-grown Muslims aren’t magically delicious and different from Muslims “over there”.
I can’t bear to read any more MSM versions…so creepy. They have to stay on message for Boss Bezos.
I saw a post yesterday, somewhere or other, on the number of pro-gun books that are being excised from Amazon books. Quelle surprise.
The home-growns are often worse, Hesperado. But the first problem remains to at least arrest the tumor right at the border. And then deal with that strange phenomenon where the next generation is more virulent than the previous one…especially those descended from parents who hail from the worst of the hellholes. And Afghanistan is one of the worst.
I hope someone advises Trump not to strap on his six-shooters and go after them in the Middle East or elsewhere. Germans want our presence at that airbase we use as the midway point to treat wounded military air-lifted out of the poison-sand box. I hope they get their wish, and soon.
We think of us being civilized and tolerant, but we start wars and interracial conflicts. We have access to informations and knowledge beyond our imagination, but we are more and more violent! Good peoples are very hard to find those days!