Early indicators are that the worst mass shooting in US history may be the work of an ISIS follower.
Florida senator Bill Nelson, on the scene in Orlando, said that, after speaking with intel staff, “they do believe there is some connection to ISIS, although that is not official. I asked FBI what I should convey to the citizens of Florida and they asked that anybody from the Fort Pierce-St. Lucie area who may know anything at all about [gunman] Omar Saddiqui Mateen, no matter how little, to please contact them.”
Reports filtering from Orlando indicate that the gunman was heard pledging allegiance to ISIS shortly before the shooting started, according to CNN, and he is probably acting as a “lone wolf” rather than as part of an organized cell.
> Massacre at Orlando nightclub: Latest coverage of deadly shooting
Many human rights groups are responding to the tragedy, including the Anti-Defamation League.
Lonnie Wilk of the local ADL issued a statement on the attack.
> Alleged shooter's father says his son was angry over 'men kissing'
“The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is shocked and horrified at the heinous attack at The Pulse nightclub in Orlando, targeting the LGBT community,” the statement reads.
“The investigation into this attack is still underway and law enforcement authorities have yet to definitively comment on the killer’s motivation. The Anti-Defamation League has contacted the lead investigating agencies to offer our support and resources into investigating the incident, described as terror, and the alleged perpetrator, whom law enforcement has identified as Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie.”
“We have seen brutal acts of violence and terror take lives from Brussels to South Carolina, and from Tel Aviv now to Orlando,” said Hava L. Holzhauer, ADL Florida regional director.
“The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community should know they do not stand alone. We mourn the victims of this calamity, and offer our deepest condolences to the victims, the wounded, their families, and loved ones.”
About the Author
