Orlando shooting: 50 killed, shooter pledged Daesh allegiance

New York - The gunman Omar Mateen, 29, was killed by a SWAT team after he took hostages at Pulse, a popular night club.

Daesh has claimed the responsibility for the shootings in which at least 50 people were killed and 53 others injured when a "lone wolf" gunman opened fire early on Sunday in a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, where a state of emergency has been declared.
In a message published on the group's semi-official news agency, Amaq, it described gunman Omar Mateen as a "soldier of the caliphate", The Telegraph (UK) reported.
Although the statement did not clarify Mateen's relation to the group, but the language appeared to suggest he was viewed as a lone wolf attacker.
The gunman Omar Mateen, 29, was killed by a SWAT team after he took hostages at Pulse, a popular night club.

It is believed that the suspect, who was a US citizen from the Florida town of Port St Lucie and was of Afghan descent, was not on a terrorism watch list, although he was being investigated for an unrelated criminal act, BBC reported.
Officials said the killings were likely to be ideologically motivated, though there was no information that the gunman was associated with a particular group.
He was armed with an assault rifle, a handgun and an unspecified "device", said officials.
"It appears he was organised and well-prepared," Orlando Police Chief John Mina said.
The shooter's father told NBC News: "This has nothing to do with religion."
Mir Seddique said Omar Mateen had been angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami recently.
"We are saying we are apologising for the whole incident. We weren't aware of any action he is taking. We are in shock like the whole country," Seddique told NBC News .
US President Barack Obama was briefed on the mass shooting, which police described as an act of terrorism.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims. The President asked to receive regular updates as the FBI, and other federal officials, work with the Orlando Police to gather more information," said a statement by Barack Obama's press secretary.
Relatives were 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 are dealing with something that we never imagined and is unimaginable," he said, adding that there was "an enormous amount of havoc" and "blood everywhere".
"Because of the scale of the crime I've asked the [Florida] governor to declare a state of emergency," he said.
"We're also issuing a state of emergency for the city of Orlando so that we can bring additional resources to bear to deal with the aftermath." 
US Muslim leader condemns Orlando attack, slams militants
The head of a prominent US Muslim advocacy group Sunday strongly condemned the nightclub massacre in Florida, calling members of Daesh an "aberration" amid allegations the gunman was inspired by the militants.
Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also called for unity and urged politicians not to "exploit" the slaughter in Orlando, which left 50 dead and dozens more injured.
"This is a hate crime. Plain and simple. We condemn it in the strongest possible terms," Awad told a news conference.
"It violates our principles as Americans and as Muslims. Let me be clear, we have no tolerance for extremism of any kind."
The FBI said the American gunman, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, who died in an exchange of fire with police, was believed to have made a 911 call pledging allegiance to Daesh before the shooting.
Awad referenced such reporting and said he had a word for Daesh members and supporters.
"You do not speak for us. You do not represent us. You are an aberration, you are an outlaw ... they don't speak for our faith. They never belonged to this beautiful faith."
With the 2016 race for the White House in full swing, Awad warned that perpetrators of attacks such as the one in Orlando "mean only to divide us" and called for calm on the political front.
"And to those politicians who may try to exploit this tragedy, we ask them to respect the victims and their families. This is not the time to score points. This is not the time to exploit fear. This is the time for unity and faith."

 
Florida gunman was 'mentally ill' with violent temper, ex-wife says
The gunman who killed 50 people at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub in the deadliest mass shooting in US history was emotionally and mentally disturbed with a violent temper, yet aspired to be a police officer, his ex-wife said on Sunday.
Sitora Yusufiy, the former spouse of Omar Mateen, 29, identified as the shooter slain by police at the end of Sunday's massacre, also told reporters in a news conference aired on CNN that she was "rescued" by family members from her ex-husband after four months of a stormy marriage that ended in divorce.
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Orlando releases names, ages of 8 nightclub shooting victims
The city gave no additional information other than the names.
-Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34
-Stanley Almodovar III, 23
-Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20
-Juan Ramon Guerroro, 22
- Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36
- Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22
- Luis S. Vielma, 22
- Kimberly Morris, 37

• Obama on Orlando shooting: ‘We will not give in to fear’