Orlando shooting an act of terror and hate: Obama

In a statement he read out, Obama said the Orlando mass shooting  was “an act of terror and an act of hate”. "The FBI is appropriately investigating this as an act of terror. We will go wherever the facts lead us ... What is clear is he was a person filled with hatred."

 

He said the authorities are  "still learning all of the facts,” and “we have received no definitive on precise motivations of the actions of the killer.”

 

A gunman, who was wielding an assault-type rifle and a handgun, took hostages and opened fire inside the Pulse nightclub which left 50dead and 53 others injured.

The attacker was identified by officials as Omar Mateen. CNN said Mateen called 911 around the time of the attack to pledge allegiance to ISIS and mention the Boston bombers, according to a U.S. official.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina called the attack as one of the worst mass shootings in the history of the US.

"It is one of the worst mass shootings in our nation's history," he told media.

Video footage being shared earlier on social media show several emergency vehicles rushed at the spot.

The police said the shooting started at 2 am.

 

Police vehicles, including a SWAT team, reached the spot after the incident started.

Orlando Police tweeted: "OPD first responders and SWAT rescued at least 30 people from inside the club and brought them out alive."

The night club earlier posted on their Facebook page: "Everyone get out of pulse and keep running."

Orlando authorities were quoted as saying by CNN that they consider the violence an act of domestic terror.

One Facebook user Ricardo J. Negron Almodovar, who claimed he was inside the bar, wrote on his  page: "I was there. Shooter opened fire @ around 2:00am. People on the dance floor and bar got down on the floor and some of us who were near the bar and back exit managed to go out through the outdoor area and just ran. I am safely home and hoping everyone gets home safely as well ."