At least 50 people are dead and more than 50 others wounded after a gunman opened fire and took hostages at a gay club in Orlando, Florida, early Sunday morning.
The shooter was identified by several law enforcement sources as Omar Mateen, 29.
The massacre — which is now the
worst mass shooting in the history of the United States — began when the gunman stormed the Pulse Nightclub about 2 a.m., with an AR-15 type rifle and a handgun, officials said.
He was shot dead about three hours later when a SWAT team entered the club, police said.
The incident is being investigated as an act of terrorism. Mir Seddique, Mateen's father,
told NBC News, "this has nothing to do with religion." Seddique said his son got angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami a couple of months ago and thinks that may be related to the shooting.
The law enforcement sources told NBC News that Mateen was born in New York in 1986 and was listed as living at a residence in Port St. Lucie, about 125 miles south of Orlando.
Mateen had active security officer and firearm licenses, according to Florida records, and his family said he worked in security. Marriage records show he was married in Port St. Lucie in 2009, and his family said he had a 3-year-old son.
"We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident. We weren't aware of any action he is taking. We are in shock like the whole country," Seddique said.
Meanwhile, a man who answered the phone at Mateen's address, Mustafa Abasin, told NBC News: "We are in shock and we are sad." He would not say how he knew Mateen, but said he was helping investigators.
Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., whose district includes the area of the massacre, said the attack was "more likely than not ideologically motivated."
"It's no coincidence that the attack took place where it did and when it did," he said. "It might be that we've seen the commission of an awful hate crime."
Grayson said investigators were searching Mateen's home and combing the nightclub. Processing the gruesome scene would "take hours," Grayson said. "There is blood everywhere."
Police said Mateen was a U.S. citizen, but some of his family members are not. They would not say where those family members were from, and while they have not confirmed that Mateen was Muslim, several Muslim groups rebuked the attack.
"We condemn this monstrous attack and offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of all those killed or injured. The Muslim community joins our fellow Americans in repudiating anyone or any group that would claim to justify or excuse such an appalling act of violence," the Council on American-Islamic Relations Orlando Regional Coordinator Rasha Mubarak said in a statement.
Police originally said around 20 people were dead, but Orlando Police Chief John Mina said once authorities were able to get into the club, many more victims were discovered. Mina called the attack "one of the worst tragedies we've seen."
PHOTOS:
Orlando Nightclub Massacre
Mina said a uniformed officer working extra duty exchanged gunfire with the shooter, who was armed with an assault-type rifle, a handgun and some type of suspicious device.
"The officer engaged in a gun battle with that suspect. The suspect at some point went back inside the club and more shots were fired. This did turn into a hostage situation," Mina said.
Officials made the decision "to go in on a rescue" just after 5 a.m. Mina said, adding that an officer was injured after being shot in the head.
"It appears his helmet saved his life," he said. "So he has an injury to his eye, but it looks like the bullet did hit his helmet."
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said the incident "could definitely be classified as domestic terrorism."
However, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Danny Banks said authorities were also investigating whether international terror was involved, and if the shooter was a lone wolf.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigators arrived on the scene of the shooting at about 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott was also on his way to Orlando Sunday morning. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families and all those affected by this horrific tragedy. We are a strong and resilient state and we will devote every resource available to assist with the shooting in Orlando," Scott said in a statement.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer on Sunday morning issued a state of emergency in the city.
President Barack Obama was briefed on the shooting by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and requested regular updates, according to a statement from the White House.
Police had previously reported on Twitter that there was a "controlled explosion" at the scene of the shooting. Mina later clarified that the noise was caused by a device intended to distract the shooter.
Revelers described scenes of horror inside the club. One witness told MSNBC that they had to crawl over bodies to escape.
A post to the club's Facebook page at around 2 a.m. warned "everyone get out of Pulse and keep running." Witness video from outside showed dozens of first responders at the scene, and several victims on the ground.
"It was tragic," club-goer Christopher Hansen said. "I wasn't sure if it was the music, because ... it went with the beat almost until you heard just too many shots."
"It was just like — bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang — and that's when you just know chaos is just, it was in turmoil," he added.
Mina Justice was outside the club trying to contact her 30-year-old son Eddie, who texted her when the shooting happened and asked her to call police. He told her he ran into a bathroom with other club patrons to hide. He then texted her: "He's coming."
"The next text said: 'He has us, and he's in here with us,'" she told The Associated Press. "That was the last conversation."
Witness Anthony Torres posted to Facebook that he and his friends made it out of the club "just barely as we started to hear fire being shot."
"They are just pulling people out in stretchers loading them up," he said, referring to first responders. "Omg please god let everyone make it."
"People are screaming that people are dead," Torres wrote in another post.
The shooting at the nightclub comes during a series of national celebrations that mark LGBT pride month.
"As soon as we have any information we will update everyone," the club later posted to Facebook. "Please keep everyone in your prayers as we work through this tragic event. Thank you for your thoughts and love."
