Orlando shooting: Gunman attacks packed gay nightclub in Florida

Distraught family members waited to hear about their loved ones as officials began identifying victims from Sunday's early-morning massacre at an Orlando gay nightclub — the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

By sunrise, at least 50 people were dead and 53 more were hurt.

Witnesses described terror-filled moments.

A DJ hid behind his booth. Loved ones got separated from each other as they sprinted away from the club so fast their shoes fell off. People carried bloodied strangers, suffering from gunshot wounds, to ambulances waiting nearby.

The gunfire, which erupted about 2 a.m. at Pulse nightclub, lasted for the duration of one song, a witness said.

The gunman, who was killed in a shootout with police about 5 a.m., was identified by the FBI as Omar Mateen of St. Lucie County. The agency interviewed Mateen, 29, three times in 2013 and 2014 for expressing ties to terrorist organizations and contacting a suicide bomber, but they determined he wasn't a threat.

The gunman who killed 50 people at a Florida nightclub was emotionally and mentally disturbed with a violent temper, yet aspired to be a police officer, his ex-wife says.

Sitora Yusufiy, the former spouse of Mateen, also told reporters in a news conference aired on CNN that she was “rescued” by family members from her husband after four months of a stormy marriage that ended in divorce. “He was mentally unstable and mentally ill,” Yusufiy said.

Although records show the couple didn’t divorce for two years after the marriage, Yusiufiy said she was actually only with Mateen for four months because he was abusive. She said he would not let her speak to her family and that family members had to come and literally pull her out of his arms. Yusufiy said she was “devastated, shocked, started shaking and crying” when she heard about the shooting, but she attributed the violence to Mateen’s mental illness, not any alliance with terrorist groups.

Families await word on victims of Orlando nightclub shooting

Fifty people have been killed, including the assailant, and at least 53 injured in an attack inside a gay nightclub in the US state of Florida, authorities said, in the worst mass shooting in US history. 

Authorities identified the shooter on Sunday as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old man born in New York with Afghan origins.

Mateen, who was armed with an assault-type rifle and a handgun, was killed in a shootout with at least 11 police officers inside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. 

Ron Hopper, special FBI agent in charge of the Orlando office, confirmed that Mateen was interviewed twice by the agency in 2013, after he made "inflammatory comments" to co-workers alleging possible "terrorist ties".

In 2014, authorities interrogated Mateen anew for possible ties to an American suicide bomber.

In both cases, the FBI closed the investigations as they turned out to be "inconclusive" at that time, Hopper said.   

Hopper also confirmed media reports that Mateen made 911 calls to police early on Sunday, and referred to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL also known as ISIS) group.

More than 200 people went to Pulse at 1912 Orange Ave., south of downtown Orlando, to celebrate Latino Night.

The first shots sounded about 2 a.m. as Mateen exchanged gunfire with an Orlando police officer. Mateen, armed with an assault rifle and a pistol, then ran further inside the club and started shooting into the crowd.

Witnesses said Mateen aimed at people, who dropped to the ground. For the next three hours, law enforcement and SWAT members worked to rescue hostages from inside the club.

"People were trampling over each other," said Jillian Amador, whose arm was cut by broken glass. "I feel terrible. I have anxiety. I'm scared. I don't want to go out."

"At first I thought it was fireworks ... I didn't believe it, then I saw people on the ground and people running," she said.

About 5 a.m., police and SWAT members put an explosive device on a wall of the club and plowed through it with a battering ram. That's when Mateen rushed toward them and opened fire in his final, fatal gun battle.

Rosie Feba was there with her girlfriend.

"She told me someone was shooting. Everyone was getting on the floor," Feba said. "I told her I didn't think it was real, I thought it was just part of the music until I saw fire coming out of his gun."

Many worried relatives looking for loved ones Sunday flocked to makeshift headquarters set up by Orlando Regional Medical Center at a nearby hotel.

Maria Arocho of Orlando anxiously awaited information about her cousin Martin Torres.

"It's just so nerve-racking," Arocho said. "I haven't heard from him. What do I do? We call him and it goes straight to voice mail."

Others rushed to donate blood — specifically types O-negative, O-positive and AB plasma that were in short supply — at such a rate that centers asked donors to return later in the week when banks need to be replenished.

Victims experiencing emotional trauma related to the shooting can dial 2-1-1 for support, said Ashley Blasewitz of the Heart of Florida United Way.

By Sunday night, dozens of vigils were held across Central Florida and the nation, including a vigil in Newtown, Conn., where 27 people died in a 2012 mass shooting.

'An attack on all of us'

 Video shows shots being fired at Pulse nightclub
Video recorded by a witness shows the scene at Pulse nightclub in downtown Orlando during a mass shooting.
As more details of Orlando's tragedy unfolded, President Barack Obama tried to console a grieving nation after the deadliest mass shooting since Virginia Tech in 2007, in which 32 people and the shooter died.

The terrorist attack, Obama said in a televised news conference, reminds the country how easily someone can purchase a weapon that fires into a movie theater or house of worship.

Obama specifically offered condolences to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender Americans who frequent Pulse and other clubs like it across the country.

"The place where they were attacked is more than a nightclub — it is a place of solidarity and empowerment where people have come together to raise awareness, to speak their minds and to advocate for their civil rights," he said.

Locally, LGBT and religious groups are rallying together in the wake of the shooting, condemning Mateen's actions.

Timeline: Events in Pulse nightclub terrorist attack
Timeline: Events in Pulse nightclub terrorist attack
"There is never, ever any justification for such unacceptable crimes against humanity, crimes against God, crimes against our country," said Hassan Shibly, executive director of the Florida branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

His statement was one of several offered by local Islamic groups. Imam Muhammad Musri, president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, urged people to pray on what he called "a heart-breaking morning."

At a midday news conference, Carlos Guillermo Smith, a representative of Equality Florida, an LGBT advocacy group, stood beside Shibly.

Smith reiterated that the two communities are united.

"Let me be clear: Equality Florida stands in solidarity with the Muslim and Islamic community and in opposition to the intolerance, discrimination and hate crimes that both of our communities experience," Smith said.

Staff members Naseem Miller, Josh Robbins, David Harris, Bethany Rodgers, Rene Stutzman, Gal Tziperman Lotan and Bob Drogin contributed to this report.

Kim Kardashian treats Kanye West to late birthday present as she squeezes curves into sexy swimsuit

Kim Kardashian West paid tribute to husband Kanye West's The Life of Pablo record by donning a customized high-cut swimsuit on Saturday.

'The wife of Pablo!' the 35-year-old Selfish author - who boasts 147.7M followers - captioned her mirror selfie.

The 39-year-old designer/rapper listed their children as 'creative consultants' on his seventh studio album, and he penned Only One in honour of their daughter North and his late mother Donda.

Kim Kardashian posted her latest sultry selfie to Instagram wearing a Baywatch-esque one piece swimsuit with this "Pablo" logo.
The Life of Pablo merchandise Kanye sold at his NYC pop-up was scooped up in minutes leaving most of us scratching our heads and heading to eBay trying to source the limited edition collection that Kanye released simultaneously with his latest album.

Kim was full of love for her husband when he celebrated turning 39 earlier this week .

"Happy birthday to my best friend," she wrote on her a

Kim added: "I usually would be scared for us to get older, but as each year passes, I’m just happy we have more time on this Earth together!

"I love you so much and hope this year brings you so much happiness."

Orlando nightclub shooting: How the attack unfolded

It was after 2.30am in Orlando, at least half an hour after the shooting began, when someone managed to post on the Facebook page of the Pulse nightclub, a haven for the vibrant LGBT community of central Florida.

Live Florida nightclub shooting: 50 killed and 53 injured in 'act of terror' – rolling updates

Casualty count rises after shooting attack on Pulse nightclub as police recount raid that killed suspect named by media as Omar Mateen

 Read more

Barely a day earlier, police chief John Mina had held a press conference about another shooting, in which a gunman murdered pop singer Christina Grimmie and then killed himself.

“We’ve never had an issue here that I’m aware of, especially anything of this magnitude,” Mina said on Saturday.

On Sunday his department was confronted with the deadliest mass shooting in American history: at least 50 dead, 53 wounded, many in grievous condition.

In New York, mayor Bill de Blasio has ordered all US flags at half-staff as a mark of respect for the victims, and City Hall will be lit in rainbow colors “to represent LGBT pride at sunset”. Police have set up around the historic Stonewall Inn, considered one of the birthplaces of the gay rights movement.

In Los Angeles, police have arrested a man with an assault rifle, other weapons and possible explosives – he said he was headed to the city’s pride parade, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The chief of Tampa Bay’s police has also offered support to Orlando, and asked for help from the public: “Our message is that one that we have repeated many times: if you see something, say something, and we will do something.”

Philadelphia police official Joe Sullivan has tweeted from the city’s gay pride parade, offering condolences and support.

EU Referendum campaign recap: David Cameron warns of 'risks' of Brexit

David Cameron has said the government might not be able to protect spending on pensions, the NHS and defence in the long term if the UK leaves the EU.

The prime minister said Brexit could cause a "black hole" in the public finances and threaten the "triple lock" guaranteeing state pension increases.

He told Andrew Marr "our economy would be smaller" if the UK left the single market leading to "difficult choices".

Vote Leave said it was "a frantic attempt to rescue a failing campaign".

With less than a fortnight to go before the referendum on the UK's EU membership on 23 June, other developments. 

The comments come after Mr Banks had told The Telegraph before the announcement that he would consider a legal challenge. 

Asked if he would seek now judicial review, Mr Banks told The Telegraph: “Definitely. We are going to see lawyers now. We think they haven’t applied the criteria they should have.”

When asked if the move was just “sour grapes” for failing to get the nomination, he responded: “It is not right. We have over a million supporters, [Vote Leave] have nobody but a few Tory politicians. ... This is a political stitch-up.”

On the impact of the decision on the EU referendum campaign, Mr Banks said: “It becomes an internal squabble in the Conservative Party, doesn’t it? Do we really think Gove and Boris are going to go at it with the Conservative Party? They are one and the same, it is a stitch-up. 

“The bottom line is we’re going to judicially review it and we will go at it 100 per cent. The net effect is that it will probably delay the referendum. 

“The process has been despicable. They have been saying they stitched it up with the Electoral Commission. We got nearly a million supporters.

Connie Britton

Britton made her feature film debut in the independent comedy-drama film The Brothers McMullen (1995), and the following year, she was cast as Nikki Faber on the ABC sitcom Spin City (1996–2000). She later starred in the short-lived sitcoms The Fighting Fitzgeralds (2001) and Lost at Home (2003), and appeared in several films, most notably the sports drama film Friday Night Lights (2004) and the thriller film The Last Winter (2006).

Britton received positive reviews from critics for her performance as Tami Taylor on the NBC/DirecTV drama series Friday Night Lights (2006–2011). For this role she was nominated for two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. In 2011, she starred as Vivien Harmon in the first season of FX horror-drama series American Horror Story, for which she was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.

Britton plays the leading role of country singer Rayna Jaymes in the ABC musical drama series Nashville (2012–present), for which she was nominated for a Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 2012. In 2014, Britton was named UNDP Goodwill Ambassador. Britton next starred in the comedy-drama film This Is Where I Leave You (2014), the drama film Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015) and the action comedy American Ultra (2015).

Britton uses her married name as her stage name. She met investment banker John Britton at Alpha Delta House at Dartmouth College. They moved to Manhattan together in 1989, married in 1991 and divorced in 1995.

In 1993, Britton joined the New York Junior League and was a member of the 1993 provisional class of volunteers where she listed her occupation as "Actress".

In November 2011, Britton adopted a son, Eyob "Yoby" Britton, from Ethiopia.

Britton studied Chinese in college. In a 2012 interview on NPR she said of the experience: "I always wanted to be an actor. But when I went to college, I had to fulfill a language requirement and so I thought it would be really cool to do it speaking Chinese. My Chinese these days is real, real shaky. Let's put it this way: These days, my singing is better than my Chinese."

Britton moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2012 when she signed to star in the ABC musical drama Nashville.

On April 2, 2014, Britton became the 10th Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Development Programme, the anti-poverty agency of the UN. She joins celebrities such as Antonio Banderas, Maria Sharapova, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo in this role. She will focus her advocacy efforts on eradicating extreme poverty, fighting exclusion and empowering women.

Connie Britton Confirms 'Nashville' Season 5 Return

Ever since CMT announced that the network had officially picked up Nashville for Season 5, fans have been speculating about which of the original cast members would be making the move with the show to the new network.

The network has yet to officially confirm which of the drama’s original cast members will be returning, though Connie Britton is now dropping serious hints that Rayna James will, in fact, be back for Season 5.

When asked by Entertainment Tonight if she has big plans to reprise her role in the upcoming season of Nashville, Britton replied, “Of course, of course!” suggesting that Connie will be signing on the dotted line to continue on with the show.

But while the Nashville actress appeared to hint at a return, she admitted in the new interview that the show’s producers are yet to confirm who will be returning and what out favourite country stars will be getting up to in the new season.

“I don’t know anything! Literally, I found out today like everybody else,” Britton confessed, “I have no information to tell you!”

Connie’s big Nashville confession follow recent claims by Lionsgate’s head of TV, Kevin Beggs, who admitted in a recent interview with Variety that Lionsgate actually have “long-term deals with the cast,” hinting that Connie and co-star Hayden Panettiere will more than likely be following the drama to CMT.

Entertainment Weekly also reported Nashville’s big return this week, claiming that the 5th season will be made up of 22 episodes but added that “the cast deals have not yet been struck.”

According to the reports, fans banded together and launched a social media campaign to revive "Nashville." Lionsgate began pitching for other networks and found a welcoming and warm embrace from CMT.

Although "Nashville" Season 5 is confirmed, there's a drawback. Sources told Rolling Stone that Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere may not join the rest of the "Nashville" cast in their move to CMT. However, some remain hopeful that one or both can still make it in the new home network.

"Nashville" Season 5 has new showrunners. Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, who are popular in their iconic series "thirtysomething" and "My So Called Life" just signed for the series before the last season ended.

"Nashville" Season 5 is expected to return this fall.

Are you happy that "Nashville" has found a new home? What do you expect from "Nashville" Season 5?

Muhammad Ali, My Father and Me,Photographic reminder of Muhammad Ali’s kindness to my father

My father, Jack Achilles, was the head chef at Isow’s restaurant in Brewer Street, Soho, when Jack Solomons, a regular customer, promoted the fight in 1963 between Henry Cooper and Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay. Ali stayed in Piccadilly and frequently went to eat at Isow’s.

Knowing as much about food as Ali knew about boxing, my father got on well with his most appreciative diner. Ali trusted that he would feed him whenever he was in London, and especially before his fights. From then on a telegram from Ali would arrive to let my father know when to get the Aberdeen Angus steaks ready.

He would go to choose the meat and supervise the butchering, to make sure it was fit for a king. In turn, he was singled out by Ali in the press conferences and generously included in many of the photocalls that were routinely held at Isow’s. One afternoon, in 1963, our entire family went, at Ali’s invitation, to the East End to watch him sparring before the fight with Cooper. My father was also given tickets to the fights. In simply acknowledging the important part my father played in feeding him so well, Ali was a giant among men.

“When we decided to put Ali on this month’s cover, we wanted to show him in safari costume carrying an elephant gun, perhaps the only foolproof weapon against George Foreman. Ali turned down the gun on religious grounds — as a Muslim minister, he says, he is forbidden to carry arms — but was happy to pose as a great white hunter.

“Once he climbed into the safari outfit — provided for Sport by Abercrombie & Fitch — Ali assumed the role completely. ‘Look out, George,’ he hollered, ‘I’m coming to get you, and I’m the baddest hunter in the whole world.’

“After he finished posing for Carl Fischer’s cover portrait, Ali calmed down for a family portrait with his three daughters and 2-year-old Muhammad Ali Jr.

“Then Ali playfully landed a few punches on the jaw of my 3-year-old daughter . Each time Ali hit her, she laughed.

“He’ll have to hit harder against George Foreman.”

I certainly was too young to grasp, at the time, the subversive brilliance of staging Ali in the costume of one of the most famous archetypes of white privilege and power, given his unapologetic identity as “a race man,” his potent pride in his blackness. I wish I could remember more about that day, but after more than 40 years, the memories have inevitably faded. I recall it now in a softly spectral way: I somehow knew, even if I wouldn’t have said it this way at the time, that I was in the presence of a great human, who was also very funny, and who took the time to play with children and seemed to enjoy it. I remember his physical presence, so vast compared with my toddler smallness. My mother once explained to me that the reason my legs are bare is that I’d been horsing around with Ali’s kids before the shoot, and tore up my nice woolen tights so badly she had to remove them.