Florida shooting gay club

Eyewitness Anthony Torres fled the scene and filmed as he watched people shooting "back and forth". Fifty people are now known to have died in a shooting in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the city's mayor Buddy Dyer has said. The gunman, named by officials as Omar Mateen, was killed after taking hostages at the Pulse club.

Orlando gay nightclub shooting: 50 killed, suspect is Omar Mateen

President Barack Obama said Americans were united in grief, outrage and "resolve to defend our people" after "an act of terror and an act of hate". The attack is the worst mass shooting in recent US history. A nationwide moment of silence will be held at local time GMT. Officials said the killings were likely to be ideologically motivated, though there was no information that the gunman was associated shooting a particular group.

Live updates. What we know. Eyewitness accounts. US media have published a picture of the suspect, Omar Mateen. Mateen's father said his motives had nothing to do with religion. Mateen's father Mir Seddique told NBC News that the incident had nothing to do with religion, and may have been triggered by the sight of a gay couple kissing in Miami.

The group later said - via its affiliated Amaq news agency - that an IS gay had carried out the attack. The claim did not specify whether IS was directly involved or simply taking credit for inspiring the attack. Mr Obama described the attack as "the brutal murder of dozens of innocent people".

President Obama: "We are united in grief, outrage - and resolve". An attack on any American was an attack on all, he added. Mr Obama has ordered flags on federal buildings to be flown at half mast until sunset on Thursday. French President Francois Hollande expressed "horror" at the killings, and said Americans had the florida support of France" in this "difficult time".

Pope Francis condemned the "homicidal folly" of the shooting. However, officials revealed that the FBI had twice interviewed Omar Mateen in after he made "inflammatory remarks" to a colleague. But the investigation was closed. Eyewitness Ricardo Negron Almodovar described how he escaped club the building's back door. The death toll of 50 given by Mayor Dyer means that the Orlando attack surpasses the massacre at Virginia Tech which left 32 people dead.

Tiffany Johnson explains the reaction to the first shots fired. Security has also been boosted for the last day of the Capital Pride LGBT festival in Washington DC, which included a moment of silenceexternal for the Orlando victims at local time, the Washington Post reported.

A gay pride parade has also been taking place in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. The city's mayor said police in the nearby city of Santa Monica had arrested a heavily armed man who said he was going to the parade.