At least fifty people killed in a Gay nightclub shooting in orlando

Fifty people are now known to have died in
Saturday's shooting in a gay nightclub in
Orlando, Florida, and a "state of emergency"
has been declared, the city's mayor Buddy
Dyer has said.
The gunman, named by officials as Omar
Mateen, was killed after tatakingking hostages.
Another 53 people were injured in the
shooting at the Pulse club.
It is the worst mass shooting in recent US
history. Police described it as an act of
terrorism.
Officials said the killings were likely to be
ideologically motivated, though there was no
information that the gunman was associated
with a particular group.
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What we know
However, US Congressman Alan Grayson said
it was "no coincidence" the attack happened
in a gay club.
It is believed that the suspect, who comes
from the Florida town of Port St Lucie and is
of Afghan descent, was not on a terrorism
watch list, although he was currently being
investigated for an unrelated criminal act.

Relatives have been gathering at local
hospitals desperate for news of their loved
ones.
Many had received calls and texts from loved
ones inside the club as the siege began, and
some have heard nothing since.
The death toll given by Mayor Dyer means
that the Orlando attack surpasses the 2007
massacre at Virginia Tech which left 32
people dead.
"Today we're dealing with something that we
never imagined and is unimaginable," he
said, adding that there was "an enormous
amount of havoc" and "blood everywhere".