On June 11, 2016, a few hours after my flight landed and I returned to the United States of America, I logged on to Facebook and saw the tragic news of the shooting in Orlando, Florida. According to Fox News, gunman Omar Mir Seddique Mateen, who pledged to ISIS, entered into Pulse, "the hottest gay bar" in Orlando, and open fire killing 50 people and wounding 53. The shooting, according to Fox News, went on for an hour until the cops burst into the building, killing the shooter.
It is speculated that the shooting specifically targeted a gay bar due to the fact that it is the season of Ramadan and ISIS leadership has been urging attacks during this time, specifically on the LGBT community and gay pride. According to the report law enforcement gave to Fox News, the shooter called 911 during the shooting to pledge his allegiance to ISIS, and upon arriving they heard the shooter shouting "Allah Akbar." According to Fox News, the shooter had also been interviewed three times in two separate investigations. However, he was he was not under investigation at the time of the shooting. After the shooting, six trauma surgeons, including a pediatric surgeon, were called to the scene. Dr. Micheal Cheatman, the pediatric surgeon, talked about the many people that were critically injured, and expects there to be a rise in the death toll. The governor of the state, after the shooting, declared a state of emergency and declared a moment of silence at 6 p.m.
President Obama in a statement said that this was "an attack of terror and hate." The shooting was also declared by Fox News to be the deadliest mass shooting in modern history. Though the true cause as to why the shooter opened fire in Pulse is not really known, it was a very tragic incident. A guy in Pulse texted his mom to say he loved her while the shooting was happening and asked her to call the cops.
Many of the people that entered the bar that night did not expect the drink that they were taking to be their last. They also did not expect that the goodbye they told their families and loved ones to be their last as well. It is at times like this where humanity as a whole can truly be questioned. The shooting truly touched a lot of people, and though we did not know them personally, we surely feel the hurt and pain that these families are going through.
Tragedies like this cause people to view the world differently. It is never an easy thing to lose a loved one, especially when there is absolutely no reasonable explanation as to why it happened. My prayers go out to the friends and families of every individual that was involved in this incident whether directly or indirectly, and as the country is in mourning I would like to stress the fact that we all need to be there for one another and appreciate each other because you never know what day might be the last. My hope is that the friends and families of the individuals will find peace in the Lord at this tragic time and be strong. May God bless the families and friends of these individuals and may He also continue to bless America.