Social media outpour after gunman takes the lives of 50 people in Orlando, Florida.
This past Saturday, a gunman walked into Pulse, an Orlando gay nightclub, and opened fire. Authorities identified Omar Saddiqui Mateen, an American born, 29-year old male, as the perpetrator. Mateen claimed about 50 lives and injured 53 more. In a shoot out with law enforcement, Mateen was shot dead.
Why did this happen?
The attack is being called the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Shortly after the massacre, President Obama said at a press conference “…we know enough to say that this was an act of terror and an act of hate.” As the investigation advances, law enforcement will be looking to Mateen’s computers, phones, devices, and social media presence to determine the motive behind his horrific act.
What do we already know?
As of now, we know that the U.S. FBI had its eye on Matten over the past few years. The first encounter took place in 2013 after co-workers reported him to the FBI based on beliefs that Mateen could have terrorist ties. A year later, the FBI uncovered a potential connection between Mateen and Moner Mohammad Abusalha, an American suicide bomber. Neither of those investigations panned out, and the FBI cleared Mateen. Authorities believe Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS based on a 911 call he placed from inside the night club’s bathroom. However, Mateen’s father – Seddique Mir Mateen – does not believe that his son’s actions had anything to do with religion but simply his disapproval of the gay community.
How did people react?
Shortly after the attack, Facebook launched its Safety Check feature for users in Orlando. Then, many people, including celebrities and politicians, immediately took to social media to pray for the victims and their families. U.S. presidential candidates tweeted and shared their thoughts on the attack via other social media platforms.
In a series of tweets, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sent prayers and thoughts to those affected.
Republican candidate Donald Trump continued his call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. and said that the country’s current leadership is weak and ineffective.
Earlier today, Hillary responded with the following:
What needs to happen next?
The Orlando event tops the list of mass shootings that have occurred in recent U.S. history. After every highly publicized, gun-related tragedy, there’s an outcry to end gun violence. Do you think the U.S. has finally reached breaking point? Let us know what you think.
