Horrific news out of Orlando

[Caroline]

A mass shooting at a night club in Orlando. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and friends.

[TravelingChris]

CNN is reporting 20 dead.  What a horrible event!  The FBI is looking into reports that the dead suspect had made Islamic terrorist threats in the past.

[Valley Girl]

Reports I've seen are indicating it was a terrorist attack. Those poor people. How awful.

 

Edited for typo.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Reluctant Homeschooler

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

 

So sad, and scary.

[poppy]

Not just a shooting but an attempt to take hostages. At a club at 2am.  What a terrible situation.

[Xuzi]

And this was at a gay club, during June, which is Pride month. :(

[QueenCat]

Makes me so mad. No matter what your beliefs are on homosexuality, VIOLENCE is NOT okay.

[Xuzi]

They're now saying 50 dead. :(

[zoobie]

50. It's unbelievable.

[Spryte]

Heart broken today.

[Farrar]

It's now the most deadly mass shooting in American history.

 

:crying:

 

The angry disaffected part of me says that if we didn't curtail assault rifles after Sandy Hook, there's no way we'll do it after the deaths of LGBT people.

 

And while it seems at this point that the killer's religion is factor, and if so, religious extremism is absolutely an important thing to consider, I suspect the conversation will become terrorism and Muslims, not guns. Because, as someone on my FB feed said, if only all those drunken party-ers had guns, that would have been somehow better.

 

[Lanny]

Please include the victims, and their families, in your prayers. This is the second morning in a row that the "Breaking News" on FoxNews.com has been from Orlando. First, the Murder of the young singer, Friday night, and now what happened in the Homosexual Night Club in Orlando, early this morning. These events could have happened anywhere in the USA.  My first thought this morning was that possibly it was a "Hate Crime" against Homosexuals. However, FoxNews is now reporting that the Killer was a U.S. Citizen, with ties to Afghanistan.   Hopefully, with time, the FBI will be able to figure out what happened and whether it was a "Hate Crime" against Homosexuals and/or Muslim Terrorism.  Extremely sad news from Orlando, where we spent 7 nights at the end of April.

[Guest]

Unspeakable horrors. Violence solves no problem.

[flyingiguana]

I woke up in the middle of a dream of a mass shooting.  And then did my morning routine of checking the news....

 

It doesn't even cross my mind that I'm psychic.  The number of shootings that happen make it very likely that a) my subconscious would think to have such a dream and b ) it would be on the same night one actually occurred.

 

I keep hoping this will be the last.  It never is.

[Lawyer&Mom]

I want to throw up. Florida is breaking my heart this weekend.

[Amira]

It's now the most deadly mass shooting in American history.

 

:crying:

 

The angry disaffected part of me says that if we didn't curtail assault rifles after Sandy Hook, there's no way we'll do it after the deaths of LGBT people.

 

And while it seems at this point that the killer's religion is factor, and if so, religious extremism is absolutely an important thing to consider, I suspect the conversation will become terrorism and Muslims, not guns. Because, as someone on my FB feed said, if only all those drunken party-ers had guns, that would have been somehow better.

Yes.

 

I'm pretty bitter about this in a lot of ways- most especially that a group that has been marginalized, attacked, and discriminated against so much already now has this happen; that this will be labeled as radical Islamic terrorism when we won't use the phrase radical Christian terrorism (personally, I hate both terms but I don't think you can use one while ignoring the other); that this will be used as an excuse to keep refugees out of the US who desperately need help; and that we will see this as something markedly different from the many mass shootings perpetrated by white shooters which will justify ignoring the fact that guns play a significant in every mass shooting no matter who the shooter is.

 

I am so horrified and sickened by this in so many ways, and it's only worse knowing that there will be direct consequences on more innocent people's lives because of the expected inappropriate reactions to this.

[Mergath]

I'm speechless. It's so horrible. 

[mom2scouts]

:(

[Jenny in Florida]

I have no words of either comfort or wisdom. This hits close to home for my family in many ways. Literally, we live in this city. Until last summer, we lived less than a mile from Pulse. One of the productions my son did actually held a cast party there that welcomed our kids.

 

My daughter is a.member of the LGBT community and was at a Pride event this weekend (not in Orlando).

 

Both of my kids are/have been active in the Orlando theatre community, which enfolds many LGBT folks.

 

I'm simply devastated that this happened anywhere, but to have it happen here is too much to process.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Jenny in Florida

[Caroline]

I have no words of either comfort or wisdom. This hits close to home for my family in many ways. Literally, we love in this city. Until last summer, we lived less than a mile from Pulse. One of the productions my son did actually held a cast party there that welcomed our kids.

 

My daughter is a.member of the LGBT community and was at a Pride event this weekend (not in Orlando).

 

Both of my kids are/have been active in the Orlando theatre community, which enfolds many LGBT folks.

 

I'm simply devastated that this happened anywhere, but to have it happen here is too much to process.

Hugs to your family.

[Carol in Cal.]

Washington Post:

 

While police have not publicly identified the gunman, law enforcement officials and relatives on Sunday identified him as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old from Fort Pierce, Fla.

Mina said it appeared the gunman was armed with “a handgun and an AR-15-type assault rifle†and had additional rounds on him.

[Carol in Cal.]

I have no words of either comfort or wisdom. This hits close to home for my family in many ways. 

Very sorry, Jenny.  (((Jenny)))

[MomtoCandJ]

Prayers to all those affected by this tragidy 😭😤

[DawnM]

I have been following and am watching CNN.  Horrible.

[DawnM]

I'm not taking the bait. Keep it about the victims. 

 

 

What bait?  I guess I am missing something.  Can't we talk about weapons and the shooter?

[Carol in Cal.]

It's unbelievable to imagine this, so many victims, just one shooter, so horrible.

There is a lot of back and forth about whether there was a 'device' in addition to the gun(s), implying that it was intended to be a lot worse.

Shooter 'known to the police but not actively being investigated'--whatever that means.

Lots of people reporting in 'safe' on my newsfeed.

A friend of mine just moved there, literally last week.  

[TranquilMind]

Sick people out there. 

 

It's horrible. 

[ktgrok]

I'm local and heartbroken. Literally turned off tv a D radio because it is so upsetting.

[purplejackmama]

I'm local and heartbroken. Literally turned off tv a D radio because it is so upsetting.

Unbelievable!

 

I always thought you were in West Palm. My family is in Windemere.

[Guest]

Terrorism is such a scourge. It's a disease of the heart, not some side effect of the availability of tools to pull it off. My prayers are with the families of the victims and I hope any other plots that are being hatched along with this one can be stopped before they come to fruition. This is absolutely terrible :(

[Guest]

I'm not so sure this is terrorism as opposed to a horrific hate crime (or just a complete loon set on destruction, but at this point that seems unlikely) . Time will bear it out, but I encourage everyone not to jump to conclusions.

 

This is horrible, and my heart goes out to everyone affected by it.

It's already been reported that ISIS broadcast this threat in some form three days ago. At this point it's a valid conclusion based on the evidence gathered from him, his family, and internet activity. Drudge has some of the latest links up.

[6packofun]

Hate crime...terrorism...  Why is it not BOTH?  

 

I'm hoping that because this tragedy has affected a minority group that this administration seems to care VERY deeply about that maybe it will acknowledge (in a meaningful way, rather than just lip service) that LGBT hatred is part and parcel of this radical ideology, hence one MORE reason to tackle terrorist threats more aggressively!

 

I feel like anyone saying it has to be one OR the other is only interested in taking sides and supporting agendas.  And that does the most disservice to these poor families and our country.

[Lady Florida.]

I woke up to the news this morning. The first thing I noticed was no internet. I went on my phone on data to check for outages and all of Central Florida was a giant blob on Bright House outages. Some of us on facebook were theorizing that it was possible they were giving LE and news outlets extra bandwidth, pulling it from the rest of us. If that was true, I'd gladly give up my internet access for as long as necessary. 

 

If you can give blood, no matter where you are, please do. Orlando has declared a shortage and gays are not allowed to donate. *Not trying to start a debate* I read that Red Cross and other blood donor organizations will be able to send blood over in the next few days. 

 

ETA According to a FB post from George Takei: "Here is what the line looks like to donate blood for the victims of the night club shootings. My heart swells. Thank you, Orlando. (Contrary to the federal policy, local authorities apparently are permitting gay men to donate in this crisis.)"

 

It shows a picture going around the block. <3

 

They recently told people they're at capacity now and not to come and try to give blood. They also said they only wanted those with certain blood types (and only if you knew your type). They're going to need more in the next few days as many of the victims are undergoing surgery and will possibly need blood but for now they've asked people to stop showing up. People were standing outside in the Florida heat and humidity, to be able to give blood. Others were providing water for the donors. My heart is swelling at the response from Central Floridians.

 

I have no words of either comfort or wisdom. This hits close to home for my family in many ways. Literally, we love in this city. Until last summer, we lived less than a mile from Pulse. One of the productions my son did actually held a cast party there that welcomed our kids.

My daughter is a.member of the LGBT community and was at a Pride event this weekend (not in Orlando).

Both of my kids are/have been active in the Orlando theatre community, which enfolds many LGBT folks.

I'm simply devastated that this happened anywhere, but to have it happen here is too much to process.

 

:grouphug: Oh Jenny!  :grouphug: Knowing that one of your kids could have been there - I just can't imagine.

 

 

Edited June 12, 2016 by Lady Florida.

[JoJosMom]

There's not much information on this yet, but police in LA may have interrupted another attempt.

 

Something to be aware of if anyone (or their loved ones) are planning to attend pride events. Situational awareness is always important, but may be more so now. :sad:

[Guest]

If you can give blood, no matter where you are, please do. Orlando has declared a shortage and gays are not allowed to donate. *Not trying to start a debate* I read that Red Cross and other blood donor organizations will be able to send blood over in the next few days. 

 

ETA According to a FB post from George Takei: "Here is what the line looks like to donate blood for the victims of the night club shootings. My heart swells. Thank you, Orlando. (Contrary to the federal policy, local authorities apparently are permitting gay men to donate in this crisis.)"

 

It shows a picture going around the block. <3

 

Actually this is no longer true- the FDA changed the regulations at the end of 2015 and gays are actually now allowed to donate blood if they meet the rest of the risk parameters. 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/21/health/fda-gay-men-blood-donation-changes/

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/BloodBloodProducts/QuestionsaboutBlood/ucm108186.htm

[Valley Girl]

I'm not taking the bait. Keep it about the victims. 

 

If the thread is to be only about the victims and not the event as a whole, perhaps the OP could amend the title to let people know that. There's nothing wrong with having a thread just about the victims. I feel incredibly sad for them and their families. But to imply that someone is offering "bait" by discussing what is clearly part of the event is not reasonable. If certain discussions are not welcome, then it's only fair to let people know that so they may start other threads.

[justasque]

I'm not so sure this is terrorism as opposed to a horrific hate crime (or just a complete loon set on destruction, but at this point that seems unlikely) . Time will bear it out, but I encourage everyone not to jump to conclusions.

 

This is horrible, and my heart goes out to everyone affected by it.

 

Hate crimes are terrorism.  They not only target the specific victims, but also affect others in the targeted demographic, through fear, and the limits fear puts on daily life.  

Think about it - if someone from your demographic moves into a different-demographic neighborhood, and gets a cross burned in their yard, are you going to fear moving into that neighborhood?  (You might do it anyway, but not without fear that you and your kids could be the next target.)  The cross burning wasn't just about the new neighbor, it was a warning and a threat to everyone who is in the same demographic.

The shooter's religion & potential ISIS connection/motivation is neither here nor there, this was terrorism.

[6packofun]

And then there's this breaking...sheesh!

 

http://www.latimes.com/la-me-ln-gay-pride-la-weapons-20160612-snap-story.html

 

*Edited to add that they are saying it is NOT connected to Orlando (at least as far as they know).  

Edited June 12, 2016 by 6packofun

[ktgrok]

Unbelievable!

 

I always thought you were in West Palm. My family is in Windemere.

 

I was born and lived most of my life in Palm Beach Gardens/North Palm Beach...just north of West Palm. But I moved to Orlando area about 8 years ago. 

[8circles]

So terribly sad. So much that I want to communicate. I'm full with sentiment - anger and sadness and disgust. But I'm just speechless.

[poppy]

Terrorism is such a scourge. It's a disease of the heart, not some side effect of the availability of tools to pull it off. My prayers are with the families of the victims and I hope any other plots that are being hatched along with this one can be stopped before they come to fruition. This is absolutely terrible :(

 

 

Lots and lots and lots of people are full of hate. This story is about a man with a legally obtained, licensed firearm who killed 53 people, targeting at will, over the span of about 3 minutes.  The tool is part of the story.  A big part.

[goldberry]

Sad for all affected  :crying:  It just never stops.

[Murphy101]

United States citizen (born in New York) committing an act of terror on United States soil against United States citizens.

 

Can't possibly be more domestic terrorism than that.

 

The ideology motivating the terrorist does not change that it is domestic terrorism.

[Joker]

It's an act of terrorism and hate. I don't know why some want to deny it is both.

 

We're sad here. Thinking about going to a vigil downtown tonight put on by our local Pride group who just held their festival this weekend. I'm actually a bit afraid and trying to push through it to take dds who really want to go.

[Renai]

The President made a recent statement calling it a "an act of terror and an act of hate."

[HomeAgain]

Our Lt. Governor just all but endorsed the shootings, tweeting biblical verses like "you reap what you sow" and "temptation of the flesh brings destruction". 

 

The massacre is horrific.  The response is appalling.

[happi duck]

:(

[SKL]

My prayers are with all affected.  I agree that this is both hate and terrorism.  I am so proud of the community for its support.

 

I hope and pray that the community's vigilance will prevent any more violence.

[Greta]

Our Lt. Governor just all but endorsed the shootings, tweeting biblical verses like "you reap what you sow" and "temptation of the flesh brings destruction". 

 

The massacre is horrific.  The response is appalling.

 

 

It used to be that maybe a handful of extremist nut jobs would respond to a tragedy in such a disgusting way.  Now it's our elected government officials doing it?  Lord have mercy.

 

My heart and my prayers go out to all the victims, the survivors, and their friends and family.  I am so sorry.

 

 

 

ETA:  Apparently that Lt. Governor's office is claiming that the tweet had been scheduled before this tragedy occurred, that it was just part of a regular Sunday morning Bible quote thing that he does.  I sincerely hope that's the case and that it wasn't an intentional insult to the victims and their loved ones.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Greta

[Lanny]

Our Lt. Governor just all but endorsed the shootings, tweeting biblical verses like "you reap what you sow" and "temptation of the flesh brings destruction". 

 

The massacre is horrific.  The response is appalling.

 

If your Lt. Gov. said or wrote that, he is a horrible jerk, based on that comment, (Please substitute bad words for jerk).  My belief, from what I have seen on FoxNews.com and watching Fox News Channel this afternoon, is that ALMOST EVERYONE in the USA is appalled by this Muslim Terrorist Attack.  On May 1st, I was in MCO (Orlando International Airport) at this time of the day, with my wife and DD, waiting for our flight from Orlando to Colombia.  Muslim Terrorists attack INNOCENT people. Terrorists do not care who they kill, they just want to kill.  He could have mowed us down, when we were waiting in line to buy our tickets to get into Universal Orlando.  He selected an easy bunch of victims. That's what terrorists do.  Apparently, the Police could not enter the club for about 6 hours, because he had some kind of "Device" on him or with him and they needed to clear that issue, before they could begin trying to remove  the victims who'd been murdered. These victims were "Gay", but they could have been "Straight" had he attacked in some other venue. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES...