Jon Alamo had been dancing at the Pulse for hours when he wandered into the club’s main room just in time to see the gunman.
Thirty-nine of the dead were killed at the club, and 11 people died at hospitals, Mayor Buddy Dyer said. The gunman’s father recalled that his son recently got angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami and said that might be related to the assault. Mateen, who authorities said had pledged allegiance to Daesh in a 911 call shortly before the attack, died in a gun battle with SWAT team members.Īuthorities immediately began investigating whether the assault was an act of terrorism and probing the background of Mateen, a 29-year-old American citizen from Fort Pierce, Florida, who had worked as a security guard. When the gunfire finally stopped, 50 people were dead and dozens critically wounded in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. In such tight quarters, the bullets could hardly miss. Witnesses said he fired relentlessly - 20 rounds, 40, then 50 and more. That’s when authorities say Omar Mateen emerged, carrying an AR-15 and spraying the helpless crowd with bullets. After hours of revelry, the party-goers crowding the gay nightclub known as the Pulse took their last sips before the place closed. ORLANDO, FLA.-It had been an evening of drinking, dancing and drag shows.
