The news fell around 8:45 p.m. French time, a few minutes after Barack Obama’s long-awaited speech. An “IS fighter” is the author of the Orlando massacre, according to Amak, the official news agency of the jihadist group. This deadliest massacre in the history of the United States left 50 dead in a gay nightclub. Although Barack Obama referred to “an act of terror and hatred” without using the term “terrorism”, the President had nevertheless also considered that “the FBI” had done well to open an investigation for terrorism”
In the middle of the American election period, this terrible claim makes the killing of the “Pulse”, the largest terrorist attack since September 11, 2001 on American soil. This is the second attack claimed by Daesh in the United States after the killings in San Bernardino (California) on December 2, 2015 which caused the death of 14 people. On official buildings, starting with the White House, flags were lowered and Americans were called to observe a minute of silence on Sunday evening. A sign of the seriousness of the situation, Barack Obama has canceled the meeting he was to hold with Hillary Clinton.
A killing committed by “a fighter of the Islamist army”
“The armed attack that targeted a gay club in the city of Orlando, in the US state of Florida, killing more than 100 people and injuring them, was carried out by an Islamic State fighter,” Amaq said. in a short statement citing “a source” within the Islamic State group.
The press release was released first in Arabic and then in English. It was claimed by one of the organisation’s official press organs. A source confirmed this to the Amaq agency. “The attack which targeted a nightclub for homosexuals in Orlando (Florida) and which left more than 100 dead and injured was carried out by an Islamist army fighter”, they shared on social networks .
The FBI had investigated Omar Mateen, the Orlando shooter, but no action was taken
“This is a terrorist act, confirms the governor of Florida, live on television, at 9 p.m. French time. A minute of silence will be observed across the United States at 6 p.m. local time, he also announced. “We have declared a state of emergency,” he added.
The FBI had investigated Omar Mateen, the Orlando shooter, but nothing came of it. The man, identified by US media as Omar Seddique Mateen, a 29-year-old Afghan-American, pledged allegiance to ISIS in a 911 call to emergency services moments before his crime and he was already known to the FBI for his Islamist “sympathies”. “The FBI became aware of his existence when he made remarks to his colleagues suggesting possible links with terrorists”, explained Ronald Hopper during a press conference, specifying that he had been questioned twice. He was first put under surveillance in 2013 after extremist remarks again. He had drawn the attention of the FBI a second time in 2014. No follow-up had been given to these investigations.
Searches are carried out in his home in Port Saint-Lucie. Investigators are particularly seeking to determine whether Omar Mateen had any ties with Abu Sallah, an American national who committed a suicide attack in Syria.