The whole world mourns the tragic shooting in the United States.

(Baonghean.vn) - President Obama described the deadly shooting in Orlando as "an act of terrorism and hostility." The gunman who killed 50 people at the gay nightclub had previously been under FBI surveillance.

Messages of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community and condemnation of the attack continued to be conveyed by political and religious leaders from around the world early on June 13.

President Barack Obama condemned the shooting on the morning of June 12 in Orlando. Photo: Getty.

President Barack Obama was the first to react, declaring the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, to be "the deadliest event in American history."

Obama, a long-time advocate for stricter gun laws, added that the “killing of dozens of innocent people” was a reminder of how easily access to lethal weapons is available in the United States.

He said, "We have to decide if this is the country we want to be. Proactively remaining inactive is also a decision."

50 people died, 53 were injured.

Omar Mateen, an American citizen of Afghan descent, opened fire on a gay nightclub on the morning of June 12th. At least 50 people were killed and 53 others injured. Seven of the victims have been identified – Stanley Almodovar III, Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, Juan Ramon Guerrero, Edward Sotomayor Jr., Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, Peter O' Gonzalez-Cruz, and Luis S. Vielma.

The 29-year-old gunman was killed at the scene in a shootout with 11 police officers. A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that the perpetrator called 911 from a nightclub, pledging allegiance to the leader of the so-called Islamic State (IS), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. IS claimed responsibility for the attack on a website.

Fifty people died and 53 were injured after Omar Mateen opened fire at a nightclub in Orlando. Photo: Reuters.

"This is a crime committed out of hostility."

After learning that the incident was linked to IS, the head of a major Islamist advocacy group in the US strongly condemned the massacre, calling the IS members "mentally deranged."

Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also called for unity and urged politicians not to “exploit” Sunday’s tragedy.

Speaking at a press conference, Awad said: "This is simply a crime of hostility, a violation of the principles of us Americans and Muslims."

He stated, "I must make it clear that we do not tolerate any form of extremism."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also expressed his condolences to the victims of the attack. In a tweet, he said: “I am shocked by the bloody attack in Orlando. We are saddened by the loss of the victims. We share our condolences with our friends in the United States.”

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, expressed his “deepest feelings of horror and condemnation,” while Queen Elizabeth II declared that she and Prince Philip were “shocked by the events.”

Hashtags supporting LGBTQ+ rights also began appearing frequently on Twitter, as users shared their grief and showed solidarity with the LGBT community.

On the red carpet at the Tony Awards in New York City, several stars, including actress Danai Gurira from "The Walking Dead" and host James Cordon, wore silver ribbons in remembrance of the victims.

Numerous memorial sites have been established in Florida and around the world. Photo: Zuma.

Prayer services were also held in many cities around the world, including Miami, Paris, and outside the White House in Washington, D.C. In New York, crowds gathered at the Stonewall Hotel – a historically significant location in the gay rights movement.

The perpetrator's identity

More details about the perpetrator were revealed on the afternoon of June 12th (US time) (morning of June 13th (Vietnam time)). Sitora Yusufiy, Mateen's ex-wife, said he had emotional and mental problems with a tendency towards violence.

The FBI also confirmed it had been monitoring Mateen since 2013 after he made inflammatory comments to colleagues, expressing sympathy for Islamist militants.

FBI agent Ron Hopper said Mateen had been investigated and questioned twice, but the intelligence agency "was unable to verify his comments."

"Not a major threat"

At that time, Mateen was working as a security guard at G4S, a British multinational company that is among the world's largest private security firms.

G4S stated that he joined the company in September 2007, bringing with him a gun to serve as a security guard.

In 2014, Mateen was investigated and questioned a second time on suspicion of having links to Moner Mohammad Abu-Salha, a US citizen who carried out a suicide bombing in Syria in 2014.

However, Agent Hopper asserted that Mateen's connection to Abu-Sallah was insignificant and was therefore considered "not to constitute a major threat."

Gay Pride parade in Los Angeles

In another development, on June 12, Los Angeles police arrested a man who intended to "sabotage" the Gay Pride parade in Los Angeles.

Remembering the victims of the shooting during the Gay Pride parade in Los Angeles. Photo: Reuters.

Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said a 20-year-old man was arrested with multiple rifles, ammunition, and some bomb-making materials in a vehicle registered in Indiana.

Police sources confirm that no connection has been found between the arrest in Santa Monica and the attack in Orlando.

Thao Linh

(According to DW)