As more grisly details about the Orlando gay nightclub shooting emerge, it is gradually being thought to be yet another case of Islamic terrorism. As already reported by the Inquisitr , the gunman, who is believed to have carried out the attack, has been identified as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old man of Afghan descent. Meanwhile, the shooting has also become a heavily discussed topic on social media platforms. On Twitter, while most of the people across the globe have condemned the attacks, there have been several tweets that seem to support the shootings.
Several people, believed to be sympathizers of the Islamic State (ISIS), have come out in support of Mateen and his actions. Many tweets were sent out by these people which openly supported the actions of Omar Mateen. Most of these accounts have been suspended by Twitter after they were reported by users. Some of these tweets showed images of ISIS fighters executing homosexuals in ISIS-controlled areas of Syria and Iraq. Under Islamic “Sharia” law, homosexuality is a crime. It is well known that ISIS follows the most extreme interpretation of the Sharia. The organization has in the past killed several men and women accused of being homosexuals. Before the accounts were taken down, The Mirror UK quoted a few tweets by such users. These are some of the tweets, reproduced below (with their translations.)
We will kill you everywhere O disbeliever..#PrayForOrlando
— ??? ??? ???????? (@TheThehunter55) June 12, 2016
Stop killing Muslims in Iraq and Syria if you want to live in peace..#Pulse#pulseclub
— ????????? ?????????? (@alnajafea59) June 12, 2016
Meanwhile, an investigation is on to find out how and why Omar Mateen decided to open fire at innocent people in the night club. According to Heavy.com , a local FBI Assistant Special Agent has confirmed that Omar might have leanings towards Jihadist ideology and ISIS. For the same reason, the incident is being seen as part of radical Islamic terrorism. In fact, fresh reports also say that Omar had reportedly pledged allegiance to the ISIS.
Local cops claiming #Orlando shooter pledged allegiance to ISIS. Hugely significant, if true. pic.twitter.com/bdqHdclIhJ
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 12, 2016
. @RepAdamSchiff : Local police told DHS officials Orlando shooter pledged allegiance to ISIS, perhaps during standoff. @CNN
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) June 12, 2016
This is 29-year-old terrorist Omar Mir Seddique Mateen. Responsible for killing 50+ in Orlando. We must defeat ISIS. pic.twitter.com/1khnRk7AQS
— VOTE TRUMP 2016 (@USAforTrump2016) June 12, 2016
The current death toll in the deadliest mass shooting incident in the history of the United States stands at 50 people. More than 53 others have been wounded. The shooting started on Sunday morning at around 2 a.m., local time. Eyewitnesses say Omar simply walked in and started firing indiscriminately at people. After the initial chaos, he also managed to take a few people hostage. In order to neutralize the gunman and to end the hostage situation, a SWAT team was called in, which stormed the nightclub and eventually killed Omar. Mateen reportedly worked a security guard and lived in Port St. Lucie, Florida, nearly 125 miles away from Orlando. The name of the shooter was initially revealed by U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson at a press conference.
Some sections of the media have even managed to contact Mateen’s family members. His father reportedly told MSNBC that the shooting was not tied to his religion. However, he did say that Mateen was visibly upset and angry after he saw two men kissing each other in Miami, two months ago. His father has also reportedly apologized on behalf of his son’s actions.
“We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident. We weren’t aware of any action he is taking. We are in shock like the whole country,” Mir Seddique, his father, told NBC News.
Do you think ISIS is behind this latest terror attack in the U.S.?
[Photo by AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack]