Crusader Corner: Orlando Shooter at Gay Night Club of Afghan Descent

Still way too early to comment as I am in the middle of gathering intel, but this is from Times of Israel. -SF

Omar Mateen, 30, of Port St-Lucie, dies in firefight with police; FBI says he may have had links to Islamic terror

The suspected shooter who killed approximately 20 people at a crowded Florida nightclub on Sunday was identified by police as Omar Mateen, a US-born citizen to Afghani parents, according to local news outlets.

Authorities were checking whether Mateen, 30, from Port Saint Lucie in Florida, had ties to Islamic terrorism.

The FBI said there were “suggestions” Mateen had “leanings” toward Islamic terror. Authorities said he had no criminal history.

Wielding an assault-type rifle and a handgun, Mateen is suspected of opening fire at club-goers in Orlando, about a two-hour drive from Port St. Lucie, killing approximately 20 people and wounding 42 others before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers. Mateen also took hostages during the attack.

Police Chief John Mina also said the shooter had some sort of “suspicious device.” He said the suspect exchanged gunfire with an officer working at the club around 2 a.m., then went back inside and took hostages among more than 300 people inside.

Read the Remainder at Times of Israel