Terrorism

MOTHER’S REQUEST: Young Orlando Couple Hoped To Marry One Day, Now They Will Have A Joint Funeral

TIME reports: A couple who was deeply in love when they were killed during a gunman’s shooting rampage inside an Orlando nightclub will have a joint funeral service, their families said Monday. Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22, and his 32-year-old boyfriend, Christopher “Drew” Leinonen, were among the 49 people who lost their lives Sunday in the worst mass shooting in American …

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LONDON: Thousands Mourn Orlando Victims [VIDEO]

You may want a tissue for the videos. Gay Star News: Thousands of Londoners squeezed into Soho’s Old Compton Street this evening to attend a vigil in memory of those attacked and killed in the Orlando gay nightclub massacre. The vigil was arranged by local bars and community groups – and echoes dozens of similar vigils that have been taking …

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ORLANDO RESPONSE: Hillary Clinton Calls For Stricter Gun Control And Ban On Assault Weapons [VIDEO]

From the New York Daily News: Drawing a stark contrast between herself and Donald Trump and renewing her calls for stricter gun control in the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, Hillary Clinton declared Monday that “weapons of war have no place on our streets.” “It’s essential we stop terrorists from getting the tools they need to …

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BRITAIN: Gay Journo Walks Off Set When Hosts Won’t Acknowledge Homophobia As Root Of Attack [VIDEO]

The Independent reports: Journalist Owen Jones stormed out of a live television interview about the mass killing in Orlando in protest at his interviewer’s refusal to name the shooting an attack on LGBT people. “At the end of the day this was a homophobic hate crime, as well as terrorism and it has to be called out, as I have …

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John Oliver On Orlando: This Just Hurts [VIDEO]

Entertainment Weekly recaps: John Oliver opened Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight by commenting on the mass shooting at an Orlando, Florida gay nightclub on early Sunday morning that left 50 people dead. “As I’m sure you know by now, at least 50 people were killed by a gunman at a gay nightclub in what is being described as a …

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Orlando Sentinel: Our Community Will Heal

The Orlando Sentinel today published a stark front page free of the usual jumble of news items. Instead, this editorial appears: Words cannot adequately convey the depth of the horror and grief in Central Florida in the wake of what now ranks as the worst mass shooting in American history. Orlando now tragically sits atop a list of infamy, sharing …

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Father Of Orlando Terrorist: He Should Have Left Punishing Those Homosexuals To God Himself [VIDEO]

From the Washington Post: The father of the gunman in the Orlando nightclub shooting said early Monday his son shouldn’t have carried out the massacre because “God himself will punish those involved in homosexuality.” In a video posted to Facebook shortly after midnight, Seddique Mateen, who lives in Florida, called the shooting “tragic” but said his son, Omar Mateen, was …

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Editorial: Anti-LGBT Hate Caused This

While some right wing outlets and commentators are discounting or ignoring the identities of the victims in Orlando, the editorial board of the Detroit Free Press gets right to the heart of it. They write: Let’s start here: The Pulse nightclub shootings — the largest mass murder in American history, claiming at least 50 lives — were an act of …

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New York Daily News: Thanks, NRA

From the New York Daily News: His killing machine of choice was a mass murderer’s best friend — and his enabler a gun lobby that has long opposed efforts to keep assault weapons out of the hands of bloodthirsty maniacs. The madman who killed at least 50 people and wounded 53 others at an Orlando club early Sunday was armed …

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World Trade Center Mourns Orlando’s LGBT Victims

At the request of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the spire of the nation’s tallest building is illuminated in rainbow colors tonight in solidarity with Orlando’s LGBT community. In midtown stands an even more unusual sight: the Empire State Building has gone completely dark in mourning.

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HRC Head Chad Griffin: Hatred Seen In Orlando Is The Same Hatred That Killed Matthew Shepard [VIDEO]

Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin, National Center for Transgender Equality head Mara Keisling, and NAACP president Cornell Brooks this afternoon gave a nationally broadcast statement on the massacre in Orlando. Watch below. This is LGBT history. This is American history.

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US Attorney General Loretta Lynch To Leave China And Return To DC For Oversight Of Orlando Investigation

Via press release from US Attorney General Loretta Lynch: “I have been briefed by Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and FBI Director James Comey on the horrific terrorist attack in Orlando and will continue to receive updates on the situation. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families during this very difficult time. The Department of Justice, including the …

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MARK OF RESPECT FOR VICTIMS: President Obama Orders US Flags To Be Flown At Half-Staff Worldwide

Via White House press release: As a mark of respect for the victims of the act of hatred and terror perpetrated on Sunday, June 12, 2016, in Orlando, Florida, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of …

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LIVE VIDEO: Obama Speaks About Orlando Massacre

President Obama will be at the podium in the White House briefing room at 1:30PM Eastern to speak about the massacre in Orlando. Watch below.

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FBI: Killer Was Known As “Possible ISIS Sympathizer”

CNN reports: Omar Saddiqui Mateen was the gunman who opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, killing at least 50 people, two law enforcement officials told CNN. The 29-year-old suspect was known to the FBI, the officials said — one of hundreds of people on the agency’s radar suspected of being ISIS sympathizers, according to two law enforcement officials. …

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Mother Of Missing Son: I Left Him With “I Love You”

From ABC News: A mother who can’t get in touch with her son after the deadly shooting at an Orlando nightclub said she is waiting desperately for word. Christine Leinonen said she “just happened” to wake up at 3 a.m., about an hour after the shooting started at Pulse Orlando, a gay club. She saw her son Christopher’s friend post …

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Donation Page Set Up For Orlando Massacre Victims

From the page: Equality Florida, the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization is collecting contributions via this GoFundMe page to support the victims of the horrific shooting at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub. Please contribute and share this page. We are reeling from the tragic news that a gunman opened fire on the 2am capacity crowd at Pulse …

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LGBT Groups React To Orlando Massacre

Equality Florida: We are reeling from the tragic news that a gunman opened fire on the 2am capacity crowd at Pulse leaving 20 people dead and 42 injured according to preliminary reports. We are heartbroken and angry that senseless violence has once again destroyed lives in our state and in our country. Gay clubs hold a significant place in LGBTQ …

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Orlando Killer’s Father Denies Connection To Religion: My Son Was Angry Because He Saw Two Men Kissing

From NBC News: Law enforcement sources told NBC News that Mateen was born in New York in 1986 and was listed as living at a residence in Port St. Lucie, about 125 miles south of Orlando. The incident is being investigated as an act of terrorism, officials said. Mir Seddique, Mateen’s father told NBC News, “this has nothing to do …

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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s Apparent Message To LGBT Community: You Deserved This For Mocking God

Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has tried to turn himself into a national political figure with his vicious responses to the transgender rights issue, wasted no time this morning in delivering an apparent message to the LGBT community.

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