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"The target was an LGBT nightclub during Pride, and - if accurate - that according to local law enforcement the shooter declared his allegiance to ISIS, (that) indicates an ISIS-inspired act of terrorism," Schiff said in a statement. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on a congressional intelligence committee, noted that the shooting took place during Ramadan, and that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) leaders in Syria have urged attacks during this time. "He saw two men kissing each other in front of his wife and kid and he got very angry," Seddique told the network. He said his son, Omar Mateen, recently lashed out in his presence after witnessing a gay couple embracing in downtown Miami, and suggested the incident may have triggered the atrocity. "This had nothing to do with religion," Mir Seddique told NBC News. The father of the suspected gunman said on Sunday he believed his son was motivated by hatred of gays - not by his Muslim religion. Reuters reported that FBI was still determining if it was a hate crime, a terrorist act or a violent crime. "We do have suggestions that that individual may have leanings towards that particular ideology but we can't say definitively," he said. Whether that's a domestic terrorist or international one is something we'll get to the bottom of," said Danny Banks, of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Office.Īsked whether there was any reason to believe there was a connection to Islamic terrorism, FBI special agent Ron Harper said investigators would be looking into "all angles". "Any time we have potentially dozens of victims in our communities, that I think we can qualify that as a terrorist activity. Police have not identified a possible motive, but AFP, quoting a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) official, said the bureau was investigating the shooting as an "act of terrorism". "We feel confident there are no immediate threats to the area or the United States of America," said FBI special agent Ronald Hopper, at an Orlando, Florida press conference following the shooting. Update, 11:28 p.m.: Adds comment from Facebook.US authorities are "confident" that there are no additional threats to the country. The suit's claims take aim at Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which has traditionally provided some immunity to sites and service providers from actions taken by their users.įirst published December 20, 10:04 a.m.
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With mass shootings an increasingly frequent problem in the US, news and video distribution platforms - and their ability to quickly disseminate information - have come under legal pressure to actively limit the ability of violence-inciting groups to attract and inflame supporters. It was the worst mass shooting in US history. "We take swift action to remove this content when it's reported to us."įorty-nine people were killed and dozens more injured June 12 after gunman Omar Mateen, who declared himself to be an Islamic soldier, opened fire inside Pulse, a popular Florida gay bar. "Our Community Standards make clear that there is no place on Facebook for groups that engage in terrorist activity or for content that expresses support for such activity," Facebook said in a statement. Twitter and Google didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. Families of the Orlando shooting victims have filed a lawsuit against Twitter, Google and Facebook for failing to limit the reach of the Islamic State group.įiled Monday in the Eastern District of Michigan, the families accuse the tech companies of supplying Islamic State-supporting individuals with the means to "spread extremist propaganda, raise funds, and attract new recruits." The suit was first reported by Fox News.