The ATF also said a third weapon was found in the shooter's vehicle. Police say Mateen used an AR-15-type assault rifle and an unknown amount of ammunition in the shooting. The ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, confirmed the suspect purchased the firearms legally within the last week in Florida. Police could not say if any of the victims died by friendly fire, noting that the investigation is still ongoing.
The suspect also came out holding a long gun and a handgun, and was killed in an exchange of gunfire. An armoured vehicle was used to punch a hole in the wall, and dozens of people climbed out of the hole, police said. At that point, a decision was made to act and breach the washroom. At some point in the ensuing hostage standoff, Mateen spoke of possible bombs and explosives, and officers believed "loss of life was imminent," police said. According to Orlando Police, a police officer on site at the club was first to engage Mateen moments after he opened fire. Another group of patrons were in an adjacent washroom. Investigators say Mateen was armed with an assault rifle and a handgun and opened fire on patrons before taking hostages in a washroom in the nightclub. There were approximately 300 people inside the club at the time shots first rang out at about 2 a.m.
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The shooting took place at Pulse nightclub, a gay bar located in Orlando’s South Division neighbourhood. It’s the first time the program has been activated in the U.S. In response to the Orlando shooting, Facebook activated its Safety Check feature so that users in Orlando could tell their loved ones they are safe. history, ahead of the 2007 shooting at Virginia tech that left 32 dead. The toll makes the shooting the deadliest in U.S. The City of Orlando has identified all 49 of the victims on its website. On Tuesday, authorities said 27 victims were still in hospital, including six that remain in the intensive care unit. Another 53 were wounded, many critically. Police say 39 of the victims were killed inside the club and 11 died in hospital. The attack left 50 people dead, including the gunman. "The issue of homosexuality, the punishment – whatever they do, God punishes it. "I don't know why he committed such an act during the holy month of Ramadan," he says in the video, which has since been taken down. In a video message posted to Facebook on Monday, Seddique Mir Mateen said he didn't know what caused his son to go on a shooting rampage. Seddique Mir Mateen told NBC news on Sunday that the family was not aware of "any action he is taking." He also apologized for the massacre, stating that it "has nothing to do with religion." The shooter’s father, Seddique Mir Mateen, said his son may have become angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami a few months ago. She may face criminal charges for failing to tell police what she knew before the attack, according to NBC News. Officials familiar with the investigation told NBC News that Salman said she was with her husband when he bought ammunition and a holster. The shooter's current wife, Noor Salman, told the FBI that she drove Mateen to Pulse on a prior occasion, and she tried to talk him out of going forward with the attack, NBC News reports. Her comments come after reports that Mateen had tried to pick up men at Pulse. The shooter's ex-wife told CNN on Tuesday that she wasn't sure if her former husband had any homosexual tendencies. Patrons told The Canadian Press that they had witnessed the 29-year old being escorted drunk from the nightclub several times. The gunman was seen drinking at Pulse on several occasions before he opened fire inside the gay nightclub, according to others who frequented the bar. At the time of the nightclub shooting, however, the FBI said he was not under surveillance.
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The FBI interviewed Mateen twice in 2013 and once in 2014 due to concerns about possible links to terrorism. The security firm G4S confirmed to the Palm Beach Post that Mateen had been an employee of the company since 2007. Mateen was born in New York and later moved to Fort Pierce, Florida. Police identified the shooter as Omar Mateen, 29. Here is what we know about the deadly mass shooting in Orlando, Florida.