After his initial assault on the dance club, Mateen called 911 and pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, according to U.S. The gunman was identified as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old security guard who was born in New York to Afghan parents. 'We're dealing with something we never imagined and is unimaginable,' said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, D, who declared a state of emergency in the city. Many of the victims were Latino the club was celebrating 'Latin Night.'' Police said the toll could have been even greater had a SWAT team not rescued 30 people and shepherded them to safety. Some had their calves and forearms blown off, doctors said. Victims flooded local hospitals with gunshot wounds to their chests, legs and arms. Witnesses described scenes of horrific carnage. He then held others hostage in a three-hour siege that ended when police stormed the building and killed him. President Obama labeled the rampage ' an act of terror and an act of hate.'' The gunman fired bullets seemingly at random inside the popular Pulse nightclub, forcing panicked patrons to dive onto the dance floor, crawl across the ground and scramble out a back entrance. A gunman who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State opened fire inside a crowded gay bar and dance club here early Sunday, leaving 50 people dead and 53 injured in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S.
