Fifty people have reportedly been killed after a gunman opened fire in a nightclub in Orlando, Florida in the early hours of this morning.
At least 50 more people sustained injuries in the attack, described by authorities as ‘a mass casualty situation’ and have been taken to hospital for treatment.
Mayor Dyer: 50 dead in Pulse nightclub shooting. @ChiefJohnMina Suspect had handgun and AR15 type rifle.
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 12, 2016
Local media suggests that a number of patrons were taken hostage by a man carrying a semi-automatic weapon, with some of them posting on social media from inside the premises.
Earlier estimations put the fatalities at 20 people, but speaking at the latest news briefing, Mayor Buddy Dyer revealed the true extent of the tragedy:
“We have cleared the building, and it is with great sadness that I share we have not 20 but 50 casualties in addition to the shooter,” he said.
Three hours after the incident began, the gunman was shot dead by police officers.
“At … 0500 hours this morning, the decision was made to rescue hostages that were in there. Our officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect. The suspect is dead,” Chief Mina told a press conference today.
At around 2am (6am Irish time), the Pulse nightclub posted a chilling message to revellers on its Facebook page, warning everyone to “get out and keep running”.
The FBI have described the shooting as an ‘act of terrorism’ and believe it’s possible the gunman had links with Islamic State.
Assistant FBI agent Ronald Hopper told reporters: “We do have suggestions that the individual may have leanings toward that particular ideology. But right now we can’t say definitively.”
Main image: Orlando Police
