# Mass Casualty Shooting at a nightclub in Orlando. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 12, 2016, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178 "2016-06-12T09:56:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/1 "2016-06-12T09:56:49Z")
Oh it sounds just awful. > **[Mass Casualties After 'Terrorism' at Orlando Gay Club](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/orlando-nightclub-shooting-emergency-services-respond-reports-gunman-n590446)** > > At least 50 people are dead and more than 50 others are wounded after a gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, early Sunday morning. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/2 "2016-06-12T11:37:14Z")
The killer [apparently](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/06/12/shooting-orlando-club/85785254/) took hostages and was killed or killed himself, along with multiple other victims. > [@](#): > > A shooting rampage at an Orlando nightclub early Sunday created left multiple people dead, including a gunman, Police Chief John Mina said. > > Mina said the tragedy began at 2:02 a.m. when a police officer engaged in a gun battle with a suspect outside Pulse, a gay nighclub just south of downtown. A hostage situation then took place and a SWAT team was called in, he said. > > “At about 5 a.m., a decision was made to rescue hostages,” Mina said. “Exchanged gunfire with the suspect. He is dead.” > > Mina said 42 people were transferred to local hospitals. Apparently everyone including the police are still confused about what happened. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/3 "2016-06-12T11:45:21Z")
Dammit, Florida Man. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/4 "2016-06-12T11:57:17Z")
CNN keeps showing a banner saying “FBI looking at possible ties to Islamic Terrorism”. Saying 20 dead and 42 injured. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/5 "2016-06-12T12:14:26Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Dammit, Florida Man. Yeah, first Christina Grimmie, now this. Both in Orlando. Two tragedies back-to-back. People must be reeling right now. Some people are undoubtedly glad both shooters are dead, but I would have liked to see them both live to stand trial and be held accountable for their murders. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/6 "2016-06-12T12:56:06Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > CNN keeps showing a banner saying “FBI looking at possible ties to Islamic Terrorism”. Saying 20 dead and 42 injured. While it could be Islamic terrorism, “gay night club” suggests hate crime instead. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/7 "2016-06-12T12:58:55Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > While it could be Islamic terrorism, “gay night club” suggests hate crime instead. It could easily be both. Hate crimes often are terrorism, they just don’t get _called_ that since the label “terrorist” is usually only applied to certain groups, such as Muslims. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/8 "2016-06-12T13:05:48Z")
It’s premature to say whether this was a hate crime or terrorism, they need to figure out if the shooter had any ties with anyone. Was he a sleeper cell or a homophobe? Nobody knows. How sad for the victims and their families. Hope those in the hospital recover quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/9 "2016-06-12T13:35:23Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > While it could be Islamic terrorism, “gay night club” suggests hate crime instead. Or it could be (probably not very likely, but certainly possible) that the shooter simply picked it as a convenient place where he knew a lot of people would be. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/10 "2016-06-12T13:59:47Z")
Happened in my backyard. Just damn. Folks, if you don’t have to be at the downtown hospitals, don’t. Too many people are trying to get word of their loved ones. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/11 "2016-06-12T14:13:26Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > CNN keeps showing a banner saying “FBI looking at possible ties to Islamic Terrorism”. Saying 20 dead and 42 injured. You know who else commits terrorist attacks and hates gay rights? Christian fundamentalists. The same people who blow up abortion clinics. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/12 "2016-06-12T14:17:24Z")
Not this time: suspect is Omar Saddiqui Mateen. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/13 "2016-06-12T14:23:28Z")
Police are doing a news conference right now. Just announced 50 dead and 52 wounded. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/14 "2016-06-12T14:29:36Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Not this time: suspect is Omar Saddiqui Mateen. They are reporting that he is an American citizen, but his family is from Afghanistan. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/15 "2016-06-12T14:31:36Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > While it could be Islamic terrorism, “gay night club” suggests hate crime instead. Given this guys name there will undoubtedly be people saying this is Islamic terrorism however NBC is reporting they spoke to the shooters father and he related the son had been upset when he recently saw two men kissing in public. Regardless of Mateen’s religion I think that makes this sound more like a hate crime. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/16 "2016-06-12T14:32:44Z")
My speculation is that he will turn out to be a gay Muslim who was repressed by his own community and this was his way of lashing out. I have no evidence to back this up, just a wild ass guess. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/17 "2016-06-12T14:45:05Z")
Body count is now 50 or more; it’s being called the worst mass killing in US history. (Probably qualified by single-shooter, single-incident.) Yeah, sorting out an Islamic shooter in a gay nightclub in the Trump quadrant of 2016 is going to keep all the talk shows going for years. Jesus, people, what are we doing to ourselves? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/18 "2016-06-12T14:48:34Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Given this guys name there will undoubtedly be people saying this is Islamic terrorism however NBC is reporting they spoke to the shooters father and he related the son had been upset when he recently saw two men kissing in public. Regardless of Mateen’s religion I think that makes this sound more like a hate crime. YMMV Sounds like a hate crime to me as well. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/19 "2016-06-12T14:50:37Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > My speculation is that he will turn out to be a gay Muslim who was repressed by his own community and this was his way of lashing out. I have no evidence to back this up, just a wild ass guess. Nice - blame it on a gay person. Because we all know that straights can’t be homophobes. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178/20 "2016-06-12T14:52:27Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > … the son had been upset when he recently saw two men kissing in public. Regardless of Mateen’s religion I think that makes this sound more like a hate crime. Right - couldn’t have much to do with his religion. After all, Islam has no problem with men kissing in public, gay nightclubs, etc. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-casualty-shooting-at-a-nightclub-in-orlando/757178.md?page=2)