Orlando Shooter Scouted Disney World for Potential Attack (Report)
Omar Mateen and his wife may have targeted Downtown Disney, which does not have a security check
Linda Ge | June 13, 2016 @ 10:15 AM
Last Updated: June 13, 2016 @ 11:47 AM
Disney
Orlando shooter Omar Mateen may have targeted Disney World as a potential site of attack, according to media reports.
People cites a federal law enforcement source who says the deceased shooter and his wife Noor Zahi Salman visited Orlando’s Walt Disney World in April.
Salman told law enforcement on Sunday, hours after the attack at Pulse, that Mateen had recently scouted both the nightclub and Downtown Disney as potential attack targets.
Downtown Disney does not have a security checkpoint for entry as do the ticketed theme parks.
Forty-nine people were killed and 53 injured early Sunday morning in the mass shooting. Mateen opened fire on the crowded nightclub with an assault rifle, sending patrons fleeing. He was killed after engaging with S.W.A.T.
Mateen had been investigated twice before by the FBI, but still managed to legally purchase the AR-15-style assault rifle he used in the massacre, along with a slew of other weapons, as recently as early June, according to People.
Forty-eight of the 49 victims at Pulse have been identified, and 53 more remain in the hospital with injuries.
Representatives from Disney did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Massacre in Orlando: A Timeline of Terror (Photos)
Orlando terror suspect Omar Mateen in an undated photo. He is the gunman behind the deadliest shooting in U.S. history, which claimed 50 lives.
Orlando Police Department
Mateen entered Pulse, a popular LGBT night club with an intent to kill. Around 2 a.m., he began shooting patrons with an assault rifle.
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About 20 minutes into the shooting, Mateen placed a 911 call pledging allegiance to ISIS and referencing the Boston Marathon bombers. First responders arrived on the scene to find carnage inside and outside the club.
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Around 5 a.m., authorities broke down a wall and exchanged gunfire with Mateen, who had taken hostages. Mateen was killed.
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During a morning press conference, Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer amended the casualties from 20 to 50. Thirty-nine (including Mateen) were found dead at the club, two died outside, and nine died en route to the hospital. Fifty-three were injured.
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Pulse remained an active crime scene Sunday as authorities worked to identify the victims.
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Authorities descended upon Mateen's apartment Sunday afternoon to collect evidence and find a motive behind the shooting.
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A bomb squad was also brought in to sweep for explosives.
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Family and friends of the victims continue to await word. Authorities have yet to notify many next of kin.
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Omar Mateen killed 50 people in the deadliest mass shooting in American history
Orlando terror suspect Omar Mateen in an undated photo. He is the gunman behind the deadliest shooting in U.S. history, which claimed 50 lives.