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Mateen, 29, of Port St. Lucie in Florida, reportedly laughed as he sprayed bullets into the crowded club before he was shot dead by a SWAT team several hours after launching his horrific massacre with a legally bought assault rifle and pistol.
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo (left) and Eric Ortiz-Rivera (right) also died in the shooting at Pulse nightclub, authorities have said
Although US officials do not know if the attack was directed by ISIS, Mateen was inspired by the terror group and has been investigated by the FBI twice over his suspected terror links. He also attended the same Mosque as an American suicide bomber.
ISIS's Amaq news agency said the terror group was responsible for the shooting and says Mateen was one of its fighters. Mateen, who has a wife and young son, has been described as a 'mentally ill' loner who beat his ex-wife for not completing household chores and became enraged when he saw two men kissing months before launching his attack.
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| Terrorist Omar Mateen shot dead 50 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in the early hours of Sunday morning – and called 911 just before the attack to pledge allegiance to ISIS. Above, forensic investigators work at the scene of the massacre |
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Edward Sotomayor Jr. (left) and Stanley Almodovar III (right) were the first victims identified in the aftermath of the worst mass shooting in American history
Juan Ramon Guerrero (left) and Luis Vielma (right) also died in the nightclub shooting on Sunday, authorities have confirmed
Shortly after making the 911 call, Mateen entered the crowded nightclub at around 2am carrying an AR-15 and started spraying the helpless crowd with bullets.
Witnesses said he fired relentlessly - 20 rounds, 40, then 50 and more. In such tight quarters, the bullets could hardly miss. He shot at police. He took hostages. Around 5am, authorities sent in a SWAT team to rescue them, Police Chief John Mina said.
The shooter exchanged gunfire with 14 police officers at the club, which had more than 300 people inside.
'He had an automatic rifle, so nobody stood a chance,' said Jackie Smith, who had two friends next to her get shot. 'I just tried to get out of there.'
When the gunfire finally stopped, 50 were dead and dozens critically wounded. Thirty-nine of the dead were killed at the club, and 11 people died at hospitals, the mayor said.
The mother of one of the victims, Mina Justice, had been sound asleep when she received the first text from her son, Eddie.
Early on Sunday morning, she was outside the club trying to contact her son, who texted her when the shooting happened and asked her to call police.
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Peter Ommy Gonzalez-Cruz (pictured), who worked at UPS and lived in Orlando, Florida, and Kimberly Morris (right) was also named as victims
Eddie Justice (pictured) an accountant who lived in downtown Orlando, was named as one of the victims early on Monday morning
On Sunday, Mina Justice (left) was outside the club trying to contact her son, Eddie, who texted her (right) when the shooting happened and asked her to call police. He was later confirmed dead
J.K. Rowling tweeted a tribute to Luis Vielma, writing: 'Luis Vielma worked on the Harry Potter ride at Universal. He was 22 years old. I can't stop crying. #Orlando'
US citizen Omar Mateen, 29, from Port St. Lucie in Florida, slaughtered at least 50 people inside a gay club in Orlando
Federal and local law enforcement remove evidence from two Treasure Coast homes that are linked to Orlando nightclub shooter, 29-year-old Omar Mateen
Mateen's name was registered at two homes in Orlando which police raided on Sunday for evidence as their investigation continues
Mateen worked as a security guard for G4S where employees said he 'frequently' made racist and homophobic comments
On Sunday, the first of the victims named was Edward Sotomayor, who worked as the national brand manager for ALandChuck Travel, a company that specialized in vacations for the gay community.
His boss, Al Ferguson, said Sotomayor's partner was outside the nightclub putting something in the car when the shots rang out.
He got a text from Sotomayor telling him he was safe in the bathroom and not to come back into the club. Sotomayor texted again 20 minutes later to say he was OK. That was the last his partner heard from him, Ferguson said.
Sotomayor was a legend in the industry, Ferguson added. He booked tours for entertainer and drag queen RuPaul and put together the first gay cruise to Cuba last year. He was going to announce a second trip on Sunday, but was killed.
'Anyone who booked gay cruises knew Sotomayor,' Ferguson told Reuters. 'He was a great man.'
In an Instagram post published on Sunday, RuPaul's Drag Race judge Michelle Visage called Sotomayor 'a joy.'
'I loved you on so many levels. You were SO SO special and will never be forgotten,' she wrote. 'I promise you that.'
David Sotomayor, who lives in Chicago and identified himself as the victim's cousin, described him as a caring, energetic man known for wearing a silly top hat on cruises.
He told the AP that Edward worked for a company that held gay cruises and often traveled to promote the company's events. 'He was just always part of the fun,' he said.
The pair discovered they were related after meeting at Orlando's annual Gay Days festival around a decade ago. They texted regularly and kept in touch, last seeing each other earlier this year at a filming of the television reality show 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' David said.
David Sotomayor is a drag queen who appeared on a season of the show using the name 'Jade.'
He said Edward Sotomayor supported him and often sent him Facebook messages. They last exchanged messages last week.
'You never think that's going to be the last time you speak to him,' David Sotomayor said. 'It's just heartbreaking to know it just can happen anytime.'
Neighbors of Almodovar, a 23-year-old pharmacy technician, said his parents had recently moved back to Puerto Rico after his mother became ill with cancer, Reuters reported. He was the youngest in the family.
But his mother Rosalie Ramos, 51, had been in Orlando at the time of the shooting and paid tribute to her son, calling him a 'happy man with a big heart.'
She had prepared a tomato-and-cheese dip for him to eat when he came home from his night out and gone to bed.
She was awakened by a call at 2am telling her something had happened.
Ramos revealed her panic after receiving a call that informed her that her son had been shot. 'I was hoping maybe [he was shot in] the hand or the leg,' she told the Orlando Sentinel. 'You can survive [a gunshot to] the leg.'
But Almodovar was shot three times, in the chest, stomach and side of his body. He died at Orlando Regional Medical Center.
She added that her son had posted a Snapchat video of himself singing and laughing on his way to Pulse nightclub.
'I wish I had that (video) to remember him forever,' she told the newspaper.
A friend, Hazel Ramirez, told the Washington Post she also saw the video from Almodovar on Snapchat and learned on Sunday afternoon what had happened.
Ramirez described Almodovar as 'kind, but sassy,' and someone who was comfortable with his own sexual identity.
'He was so proud of who he was,' she told the Post. 'He would do his makeup better than anyone else. It was so easy to be myself with him.
Sabiel Rivera, 30, who is a neighbor of Almodovar in Clermont, Florida, told Daily Mail Online that he 'was a cool guy, who was very humble and never got into any trouble.'
It is believed he shared a top floor apartment with his mother.
Originally from Springfield, Massachusetts, he was living in Clermont, according to his Facebook page, which has been flooded by friends paying tribute in the aftermath of the tragedy.
'Rest in peace my friend, wrote Brian Garcia. 'You were always so full of joy Stanley, we will miss you buddy.'
Mark Nielson added: 'We'll miss you Stanley. You made an impact on everyone that you came around. A good person and friend.'
He graduated from East Ridge High School in Clermont in 2011 before studying at Anthem College, his family said.
Guerrero was so concerned about how his family would react to his sexuality that he only came out to his parents at the beginning of this year, his cousin Robert Guerrero told CBS News.
When he did, they were 'very accepting,' the 19-year-old said. 'As long as he was happy, they were OK with it.' He was in a relationship with someone that his relatives came to see as a member of the family, he said.
Robert Guerrero said he began to worry about his cousin, who worked as a telemarketer and was a student at the University of Central Florida, when he heard about the shooting at a club he knew Guerrero sometimes visited. Later in the day, his worst fears were realized.
'He was always this amazing person and he was like a big brother to me,' he said. 'He was never the type to go out to parties, would rather stay home and care for his niece and nephew.'
Friends and family have paid to Guerrero on his Instagram page, calling him a 'beautiful soul.'
'So unfair what happened to you. RIP. I hope the light will rule out all darkness,' said one comment.
Friends and family paid tribute to Capo on Facebook, who they called 'Omar' in tributes.
His aunt Carla Ocasio called him her 'dear nephew' and shared a photo of the 20-year-old that said 'dance freely in the heavens.'
Another family member Robert said: 'God bless us all and give us strength in our time of need. Lord guide us with your light so we don't live in fear of the darkness evil brings.'
Claudia Mason said that she worked with Capo at Target in Kissimmee, Buzzfeed reported.
'He lit up any area he worked in, especially Starbucks,' she wrote. 'So sad that his life was cut so short by such an evil person.'
Via - Dailymail
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