Aftermath of Pulse Nightclub Shooting in Orlando
As most are aware now, 29-year old U.S. born ISIS-inspired extremist Omar Mir Seddique Mateen drove from Fort Pierce, FL to Orlando, FL where he proceeded to carry out the deadliest mass shooting attack in United States history. With 50 casualties and 53 critically wounded, the shooting at Pulse Night club, “the hottest gay bar” in Orlando has become the largest terrorist attack on the homeland since 9/11.
According to official reports, shortly before 2 a.m. EST, Mateen called 9–1–1, pledged allegiance to ISIS, and reflected on the Boston Marathon bombing. He then armed himself with an AR-15 assault rifle and handgun that he had recently legally purchased, departed his rental van, and exchanged fire with and off duty police officer before entering the nightclub. Once inside he began firing on clubbers. He then proceeded to barricade himself inside and take hostages as Orlando SWAT arrived on scene.
After three hours of deliberation, Orlando SWAT crashed an armored vehicle into Pulse nightclub and began throwing stun grenades before killing Mateen.
Here’s What we Know About Omar Mir Seddique Mateen
Omar Mateen was born in New York, to parents who emigrated from Afghanistan. He had his own You Tube video in which he had expressed his support for the Taliban in Afghanistan and contention for the Afghan presidency.
Various reports indicated that he was ‘bipolar’, ‘unstable’, and ‘unhinged’. His ex-wife even stated that he would beat her if the laundry was unfinished.
An FBI spokesperson stated that Matten, “was organized and well-prepared.” This is not surprising since Omar had been employed by one of the worlds largest security companies, G4S Secure Solutions, as a security officer since 2007.
According to Omar’s parents they did not see this coming. They claimed that although Omar had expressed his discontent with gay men kissing, he had never expressed extremist views.
According to Imam Shafiq Rahman, the Imam at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, claimed that Matten would bring his three year old son, come and quietly pray, and leave. He also contended that there was no evidence that Omar would do such a thing, although Rahman’s son stated he found Omar to be aggressive.
Several groups have come forward to denounce the attack to include: the Vatican, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Moving Forward
One must wonder how a person who’s been on FBI’s radar for terrorist ties, could carry out an attack of such magnitude, but the fact is we must ask ourselves how much privacy we are willing to give up to ensure safety. Immediately following, 9/11 the general consensus among American’s was to take any means necessary. However, decisions made immediately following 9/11 are now often criticized.
According to immediate media reports the FBI first became aware of Mateen in 2013, when he made threats to coworkers, including possible ties to terrorist activities. An FBI spokesman stated Sunday that “In 2014, Mateen again came to the attention to the FBI because of possible ties to an American suicide bomber, Moner Abusalha. The FBI interviewed Mateen and determined that contact was minimal, and did not constitute a substantive threat at the time.”
Since the contact was minimal, the FBI was not allowed to continue surveillance on Mateen. However, if your family member or friend was one of the 50 killed and 53 critically injured today, would you still feel the same?
As a nation, we must determine how much longer we are going to allow incidents like this to happen before standing up and taking action.
The weapon used was an AR-15 assault rifle and President Obama used this opportunity to once again enforce gun control. He stated, “This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or in a movie theater, or in a nightclub.” In referencing recent mass shootings in the United States he added, “We have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to be. To actively do nothing is a decision as well.”
While both of these options are highly political and will continue to be publicized leading up to the elections, there are a few things that you can do to ensure your own safety in the event of an active shooter situation. WeSeeHSE recent highlighted information you need to know in being prepared for an active shooter.
Everyone should also keep in mind that we are in the middle of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month. ISIS spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani encouraged followers to mount attacks against the west during this time. in A CNN report noted, “Since declaring its caliphate in June 2014, the self-proclaimed Islamic State has conducted or inspired at least 90 terrorist attacks in 21 countries other than Iraq and Syria, where its carnage has taken a much deadlier toll. Those attacks have killed at least 1,390 people and injured more than 2,000 others.”
Be vigilant, stay safe, and always “If you see something, say something!”
