IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READOrlando: The Deadliest Mass Shooting In US HistoryA gunman opened fire on an Orlando nightclub on Saturday, killing 50 people and injuring another 53 in what has become the deadliest mass shooting in United States history. Police identified the shooter as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old US-born citizen. Mateen was armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and a handgun when he opened fire on the patrons of Pulse, a gay nightclub. Mateen created a hostage situation using a small group, though most of the 320 people in the nightclub were able to escape. Shortly before 6am on Sunday, a SWAT unit entered the club in a protracted gun battle, killing Mateen. What happens next?President Obama called the tragic shooting “an act of terror” and stated that the FBI was investigating the shooting as a terrorist act. But as CNN Commentator Marc Lamont Hill said on Twitter, we’re bracing ourselves for “a day of Islamophobia, homophobia, pink washing and hateful theology.” Emotions run high during times of tragedy, and this will no doubt spark a national conversation on gun control, LGBT rights and religious extremism. This is a developing story. Follow Daily Pnut on Twitter for more updates. |