Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
A gunman carrying a handgun and an assault-style weapon opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., early Sunday, killing at least 50 people and wounding at least 53 others.
It is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
The death toll far exceeds initial estimates. Orlando Police Chief John Mina initially said "around 20" people succumbed to gunshot wounds inside the Pulse Orlando nightclub, but later said police found far more victims once they gained full access to the scene. He said the suspected gunman is also dead.
The suspect has been tentatively identified as Omar Mateen, two law enforcement officials tell NPR's Carrie Johnson. No further information about Mateen was immediately provided. Tampa FBI Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Ronald Hopper declined to identify the suspect, saying authorities are still notifying the next of kin.
The shooter opened fire at Pulse at approximately 2 a.m. ET in an attack that later developed into a hostage situation. The club held approximately 320 people that night, Mina said. He described how the events unfolded:
Police were being contacted by people trapped inside the nightclub, he said, and "our biggest concern was future loss of life. We want to save those people."
"Everyone get out of pulse and keep running," Pulse Orlando posted to its Facebook page at 2:09 a.m.
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Law enforcement used explosive devices and an armored vehicle to blast through a wall, he said, where a gun battle ensued with the suspect, ultimately killing him.
"There were at least 30 people who were saved during that rescue," Mina says.
A police officer was injured in the shooting of the suspect, Mina says, saying the officer's Kevlar helmet likely saved his life. Eight other officers were involved in that shooting.
Mina added that authorities were in the process of identifying victims and that it could take some time.
Federal and local law enforcement said they were classifying the shooting as an incident of domestic terrorism.
"This is clearly an act of terror," Florida Gov. Rick Scott told reporters. "For somebody to go in there and be an active shooter, and take that number of lives ... and injure that many people is clearly an act of terror."
Scott has declared a state of emergency in Orange County "to make sure all the resources that would be necessary for the city and the county ... anything that would be needed from the state is available immediately."
Authorities have released few details about the suspect. Hopper said law enforcement was looking into "all angles" regarding motivation for the attack. When asked whether the suspect had a connection to radical Islamic terrorism, he said there are "suggestions that the individual might have leanings toward that ideology," without providing details.
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Mina said the shooter was carrying a handgun an AR-15-type rifle and an unknown number of rounds and that he appeared to be "organized and well-prepared."
According to a search of public records, Mateen is 29 years old and listed as living in Port St. Lucie, Fl. The search shows that Mateen had a firearm license and he received a security officer license in both 2011 and 2013. The search did not turn up any criminal record.
Authorities say it is not clear whether Pulse Orlando was targeted specifically because it is a gay nightclub. "We don't know that that had any specific impact on the actions taken this evening, at least not yet," Hopper says.
Terry DeCarlo, head of the GLBT Center Of Central Florida, told reporter Catherine Welch of Orlando's WMFE that the group was opening crisis hotlines to help the LGBT community.
"We can't confirm — and I've talked extensively with the police department — that it was a direct hate crime against the LGBT community, it could have just been a person looking for a packed nightclub to go in and start shooting. We can't confirm that yet," he says. He adds that his main concern now is providing support for community members and their families.
Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
The Human Rights Campaign said it will be marching in silence today during a pride parade in Los Angeles.
"This tragedy has occurred as our community celebrates pride, and now more than ever we must come together as a nation to affirm that love conquers hate," HRC President Chad Griffin said in a statement.
A statement from the White House said that President Obama has "directed that the federal government provide any assistance necessary to pursue the investigation and support the community." It added: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims."
Meanwhile, many families wait for news about their loved ones. Weekend Edition Sunday spoke with Natalie Murray, who said her daughter called her from the club saying "she was afraid, she was hurt." Murray said she had not heard from her daughter since.
"I'm destroyed, I'm hurt, I'm frazzled, I'm frightened. I'm all over the place. I just need to see my daughter and talk to her," Murry said. "We expected them to be safe and be able to go to the club and just have a nice time. I just never imagined something like this happening."
Sunday's horrific attack comes a day after a gunman shot and killed singer Christina Grimmie at an Orlando concert venue, though police emphasized that they see no indication the two events are connected.
This is a developing story. Some things that get reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.
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