50 dead in worst mass shooting in US history; gunman behind slaughter at gay nightclub vowed loyalty to Islamic State

A man armed with an assault rifle and pledging loyalty to Islamic State killed 50 people during a gay pride celebration at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, early on Sunday in the deadliest mass shooting in US history, a rampage President Barack Obama denounced as an act of terror and hate.

Police killed the gunman, Omar Mateen, 29, a New York-born Florida resident and US citizen who was the son of Afghan immigrants and was twice questioned by FBI agents in recent years, authorities said.

Mateen’s former wife said he was emotionally and mentally disturbed with a violent temper, yet aspired to be a police officer.

Working for the global security firm G4S during the past nine years, Mateen was an armed guard for a gated retirement community in South Florida, and had cleared two company background screenings, the latest in 2013, according to G4S.

Orlando shooter Omar Mateen was a homophobe and wife beater, reports say

Preliminary investigations suggested the attack was inspired by Islamic State militants, though there was no immediate evidence that Mateen had any actual ties to the group, law enforcement officials said.

As the shooting rampage was unfolding, Mateen “made calls to 911 this morning in which he stated his allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State,” said Ronald Hopper, the FBI’s assistant special agent in charge on the case.