Gunman opens fire at gay nightclub in Orlando

It’s possible she won’t be charged, but that possibility is under consideration.

It was during those conversations, Comey said, that he pledged loyalty to Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, claimed solidarity with the ethnic Chechen perpetrators of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and expressed support for Abu-Salha, who had fought with Jabhat al-Nusra.

Dr Michael Cheatham, of the Orlando Regional Medical Centre, said at a hospital news conference that doctors recalled victims arriving in “truckloads” on the night of the rampage. He said everyone answered: “I’ll be right there”.

Imam Muhammad Musri, of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, said the attack had been “an act of terror, an act of hate”.

At the White House, President Barack Obama said there is no clear evidence so far that Mateen was directed by the group, calling the attack an apparent example of “homegrown extremism”. The gunman also used accounts on gay apps.

FBI Director James Comey said there were “strong indications of radicalisation and of potential inspiration by foreign terrorist organisations”.

The Orlando Sentinel and other news organizations also quoted regular customers at the gay bar as saying they had seen Mateen there a number of times. He said he saw Mateen at the club at least a dozen times.

Seddique Mateen said he last saw his son on Saturday. Some psychologists raised the possibility that Mateen was sexually conflicted and lashed out against gays, or that he was casing the nightclub for an attack and trying to find victims online.

On Saturday night, hours before the rampage, Mateen visited Disney Springs, an outdoor restaurant, retail and entertainment complex at Walt Disney World, an official who was briefed on the case but insisted on anonymity to discuss the continuing investigation told The Associated Press. He says gunman Omar Mateen laughed after he entered the room and opened fire on people begging for their lives.

Mateen’s ex-wife Sitora Yusufiy, has described him as “bipolar”, emotionally disturbed, violent and physically abusive.

“We went to a few gay bars with him, and I was not out at the time, so I declined his offer”, he said. She told the Federal Bureau of Investigation that she once drove him to the gay nightclub, Pulse, because he wanted to scope it out.

Since the shooting attack, she has been staying at the home of Mateen’s father in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. And his Afghan-immigrant father suggested he may have acted out of anti-gay hatred.

– Orlando TV producer Matt Gentili of CFN 13 said Mateen called during his standoff to say he was doing it for the Islamic State. Mateen apparently later barricaded himself in another bathroom, where a survivor named Orlando says he heard him speaking about ISIS in surprisingly calm 911 calls. The names of the dead were read aloud. It was held on the lawn of Orlando’s main performing arts venue, where mourners created a memorial of flowers, candles and notes for the victims. Many in the crowd said they were inspired to attend because Pulse played a huge role in their lives as gays and lesbians.

Senior US national security officials, including Comey, have warned for several years about the threat from “lone wolf” terrorists – those who become self-radicalised and plot attacks with little notice or resources.

“He was mentally unstable and mentally ill, that’s the only explanation I can give”.