Who Is Omar Mateen, The Orlando Club Pulse Shooter?

Omar Mateen has been identified as the gunman who killed 50 people and injured at least 53 others after opening fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday.

Omar Mateen Identified As The Orlando Club Pulse Shooter

Orlando authorities say Mateen entered the downtown Pulse nightclub around 2 a.m. Sunday before taking groups of people hostage and killing them.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said at a press conference that SWAT officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, killing Mateen. Mina noted that Mateen “appeared to be carrying a rifle, an assault-type rifle and a handgun and had some type of device on him.”

Mateen was described as an American citizen in his 20s, from Port St. Lucie, Florida. He was reportedly “organized and well-prepared” and acted alone.

Prior to the shooting, Mateen allegedly called 911 to pledge his allegiance to ISIS. He gave his full name to the operator, and mentioned the Boston Bombers, according to multiple sources who spoke to law enforcement.

“We are investigating this from all points of perspective as an act of terrorism,” Special Agent Danny Banks, who’s in charge of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, announced. “Any time we have potentially dozens of victims in any of our communities, then I think we can qualify that as terrorism activity.”

“Whether that is domestic terrorism activity or an international one is certainly something that we will get to the bottom of,” Banks declared.