Hopper said they can’t say definitively whether the gunmen is connected to that ideology. Hopper had been asked about whether the shooter was connected to radical Islamic terrorism. Local FBI Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Ron Hopper said at a press conference that there are “suggestions” the gunman “may have leanings” toward Jihadist ideology. The FBI has not confirmed Schiff’s statement.
“The fact that this shooting took place during Ramadan and that ISIS leadership in Raqqa has been urging attacks during this time, that the target was an LGBT night club during Pride … Whether this attack was also ISIS-directed, remains to be determined.” “This attack is so painfully reminiscent of the terrible attack at the Batlaclan Theatre in Paris, and other ISIS-inspired attacks in recent years,” Schiff said. Schiff is the ranking member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and said he received a preliminary briefing on the attack. He said Mateen declared his allegiance to ISIS before the assault, according to local law enforcement.
#Swat vehicle used in gay bar shooting full
ISIS issued a statement calling Mateen an “Islamic state fighter.” Read the full statement here.Ĭongressman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, said in a press release that the attack appears to be an “ISIS-inspired act of terrorism.” He also mentioned the Tsarnaev brothers, who carried out the Boston Marathon bombing, during the call, CBS News reports. Omar Mateen called 911 just before the shooting and pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, NBC News reports. Mateen Called 911 & Pledged His Allegiance to the ISIS Leader Here’s what you need to know about Mateen: 1. Mateen’s father told the Post that his son is not gay.Ĭlick here for the names of the victims as they are identified. Others who knew him said he frequented the Pulse nightclub for several years before the shooting and also used gay dating apps. The former classmate at a community college told the Palm Beach Post that Mateen once asked him out. We are in shock like the whole country,” Mir Seddique, his father, told NBC News.īut on Monday, a day after the shooting, a former classmate and other acquaintances told several media outlets that Mateen may have been gay. We weren’t aware of any action he is taking. “We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident.
He said “we are apologizing for the whole incident.”
His father told MSNBC that the shooting was not about his son’s religion, but that his son became very angry after seeing two men kissing in Miami months ago. Police have not yet said why Mateen attacked the Pulse club. Lucie is about 125 miles away from Orlando. His name was confirmed by Congressman Alan Grayson at a press conference. He has ties to radical Islamic ideology, CBS reports. He pledged allegiance to ISIS, the so-called Islamic State, before the shooting, according to Congressman Adam Schiff, D-California. How You Can Help Ukraine: Verified Charities, GoFundMe & Ways to Support Ukrainians