Mass shooter gay club

Details continue to emerge about the gunman's motive. A gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing at least 49 people and injuring dozens before being shot dead by police. What do we know about what happened? The attack began at about local time GMT on Sunday. Pulse, which is one of the biggest nightclubs in Orlando, was holding a Latin-themed event that was nearing its end when a man opened fire.

Orlando nightclub shooting: How the attack unfolded

There were more than people inside at the time. Atthe nightclub posted on its Facebook pageexternal : "Everyone get out of pulse and keep running. The gunman, who was carrying an ARtype assault rifle and a handgun, exchanged fire near the entrance with a police officer who was working at the nightclub.

Additional officers arrived at the scene gay a second gun battle ensued inside, forcing the gunman back. He took several people hostage in a bathroom at the back of the building, and told the shooter he had explosives. At this point, police were able "to save and rescue dozens and dozens of people and get them out of the club," according to Orlando police chief John Mina.

With the gunman holed up in the bathroom, police secured the building and began preparing to breach the club wall of the bathroom with explosives. Police chiefs made the decision to storm the building at about local time GMTdetonating the explosives to create large holes on the building's rear wall.

Mr Mina said dozens of people who had taken shelter in another bathroom were able to escape through these holes before the gunman himself emerged. After another gun battle with police, he was shot dead. At least 49 people were killed in the attack, making it the gay mass shooting in mass US history. His father, Seddique Mateen, said his son became "very angry" mass seeing two men kissing in Miami recently.

The investigation ended after officers were unable to substantiate the claims. However, Mateen was questioned again in about a potential connection to Moner Mohammad Abu-Salha, an American known to have carried out a shooter bombing in Syria. Mateen's ex-wife, Sitora Yusufiy, said that he was violent and mentally unstable and had beaten her repeatedly while they were club.

It appears that he remarried after that divorce, and had a three-year-old son with his second wife, according to the Miami Heraldexternal. Who was Omar Mateen? Investigators are looking at whether his second wife, Noor Zahi Salman, knew about the plot ahead of time, and are considering charges. She told the FBI her husband said he was going to see friends, though she thought he was going to carry out an attack at the night club, officials have told the US media.

There are also media reports that she said she was with him when he bought ammunition and a holster, and drove him to Pulse once to scope it out. Mateen appears to have been a regular at the club and he contacted men on gay dating apps, raising the possibility that he was conflicted about being gay and lashed out.

What is internalised homophobia? The group has said it was behind the attack, but the extent of its involvement is not clear. The group had called for its supporters to launch attacks on the West during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, that began last week.