WASHINGTON D.C., June 13, 2016 (Xinhua) -- People attend a rally calling for legislation on gun violence prevention and gun control outside the White House, in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, June 13, 2016. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan)
BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The mass shooting in southern U.S. city Orlando, which U.S. President Barack Obama called "homegrown extremism" on Monday, has shocked and drawn wide condemnations from the international community.
HOMEGROWN EXTREMISM
Fifty people including the gunman were killed and 53 others wounded early Sunday in the shooting at the Orlando's Pulse nightclub. It was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history and the deadliest terror attack since the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001.
The gunman, identified by authorities as 29-year-old Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie, Florida, was found dead inside the nightclub after a shootout with the police.
"As far as we can tell right now, this is certainly an example of the kind of homegrown extremism that all of us have been so concerned about for a very long time," said Obama at the White House.
The president said so far there was no "clear evidence" that the gunman had been directed externally. "It does appear that at the last minute, he announced allegiance to ISIL," said Obama, referring to an acronym of the extremist group, the Islamic State (IS), based in Syria and Iraq. "But there's no evidence so far that he was, in fact, directed by ISIL."
"So far, we see no indication that this was a plot directed from outside the United States, and we see no indication that he was part of any kind of network," said FBI Director James Comey.
However, Comey said Mateen was clearly "radicalized," at least in part via the Internet.
Al-Bayan Radio, a media outlet for the IS extremist group, on Monday hailed the attack and called the Orlando mass shooter "one of the soldiers of the caliphate in America."
However, the broadcast was thought as an opportunistic statement as the IS has not officially claimed responsibility for the Orlando attack.
THE SHOOTER
Pulse told local media that they saw the gunman there drinking on several occasions before the massacre.
Ty Smith told The Orlando Sentinel that he had seen Mateen at the gay bar. Smith said Mateen would sit and drink by himself, getting loud and belligerent.
Smith said he did not talk to Mateen much, but that Mateen mentioned having a wife and child.
Mateen's father called his son's massacre "the act of a terrorist." Seddique Mir Mateen gave a statement to reporters on Monday at his home in Port St. Lucie, Florida. On Sunday, the father suggested that his son's anti-gay hatred may have led to the rampage, saying his son got angry a few months ago when he saw two men kissing in Miami.
The father also apologized for what his son did.
Court documents on Monday revealed that Mateen filed a petition to legally change his name from Omar Mir Seddique to Omar Mir Seddique Mateen in 2006, the same year he graduated from Indian River Community College.
The documents released in detail Mateen's various jobs and say he was born in Queens, New York, and moved to Port Saint Lucie in 1991. Between 2001 and 2006, he worked at eight jobs, including a Publix grocery store, Circuit City, Chick-Fil-A and a Walgreens drug store.
Then his jobs began focusing more on vitamins and health. He worked at Nutrition World in Fort Pierce, Gold's Gym and a GNC store in a mall.
Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry told U.S. media that Mateen visited the kingdom twice to perform an Islamic pilgrimage the the year of 2011 and 2012.
CONDOLENCES AND CONDEMNATIONS
Hospital officials told local media that five people are still in "grave condition" after they were wounded in the attack.
According to Orlando Regional Medical Center, 29 people are still at the hospital and a number of patients remain critically ill and in shock.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, on Monday to offer condolences over the deadly mass shooting.
On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, Xi expressed deep sympathy and sincere condolences to Obama, the U.S. government and the American people. He also mourned the victims.
The United Nations Security Council on Monday condemned "in the strongest terms" the mass shooting in Orlando, which it said targeted "persons as a result of their sexual orientation."
"The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed," said French Ambassador Francois Delattre, Security Council president for June.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote to the governor of the U.S. state of Florida and the mayor of Orlando to convey his deepest condolences for the loss of lives and injuries in Sunday's shooting in Orlando that targeted the LGBT community, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a daily briefing.
In the letter, Ban said that "such violence is despicable, and contrary to the values of equality, peace and mutual respect that underpin the United Nations," said Dujarric.
"We are all horrified by the horrible massacre in Orlando," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, at the start of a cabinet meeting, according to a statement from his office.
"I wish to express on behalf of the Israeli government and citizens our condolences to the American people and the families of the victims in such a hard and tragic time," he added.
Netanyahu also said that countries around the world should stand "soldier to soldier" and fight terrorism that "threatens the entire world."
Latin American countries are united in their voices on Monday, condemning the attack and called for the fight for terrorism and homophobia.
The U.S. on Monday called on all 193 members of the United Nations to not only condemn the terrorism, but also to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from such attacks.
Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the UN David Pressman said outrage at the killing should be directed at protecting members of the LGBT community "not just around condemning the terrorists who kill them."
