US President Barack Obama voiced solidarity with the LGBT community after the shooting rampage at an Orlando gay nightclub, calling the gunman an “angry, disturbed, unstable young man who became radicalised.”
Investigators were working to untangle the motive of Omar Mateen, as witnesses said the 29-year-old American of Afghan descent — who was married with a child — frequented the popular nightspot and used gay dating apps.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the shooting early Sunday. The FBI said Mateen pledged allegiance to the IS leader in 911 calls made during the killing spree — the worst mass shooting in US history.
Forty-nine people were killed and 53 wounded after Mateen opened fire at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, a resort city in central Florida best known as the home of Walt Disney World.
After a meeting of his National Security Council, Obama said the country’s thoughts were with survivors and relatives of the dead, as well as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community “who were targeted.”
“You are not alone. The American people and our allies and friends all over the world stand with you,” Obama said.
He reiterated the official belief that Mateen — a practising Muslim — had absorbed extremist propaganda online, noting: “He appears to have been an angry, disturbed, unstable young man who became radicalised.”
Obama will travel to Orlando on Thursday.
The president spoke by phone Tuesday with French President Francois Hollande, who expressed his condolences. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to destroying IS, the White House said.
– ‘Where does this stop?’ –
The slaughter has raised questions about US counterterror strategy — the FBI said it had investigated Mateen but cleared him of extremist ties.
But a fiery Obama lashed out at Republicans, especially presidential hopeful Donald Trump, for anti-Muslim rhetoric that he said was counterproductive to the fight on extremism.
“Where does this stop?” he said.
“Are we going to start treating all Muslim Americans differently? Are we going to start subjecting them to special surveillance? Are we going to start discriminating against them because of their faith?”
The rampage has also raised questions about gun laws. Mateen legally bought the assault rifle and handgun used in the attack.
Obama has demanded that the Republican-controlled Congress pass legislation to curb the sale of assault-type weapons — a measure that conservatives say violates their constitutional right to bear arms.
