Hopper said authorities were looking into whether the suspect had 'leanings' toward Islamic extremism, but Florida officials also invited a local Islamic leader to address the media in a bid to preempt a possible backlash against the Muslim community. Police have yet to officially identify the gunman but US television networks quoting law enforcement sources named him as Omar Mateen, who was born to Afghan parents in 1986 and lives in Port St Lucie, Florida, about two hours drive from Orlando.ĬBS News reported that Mateen - who died in a shootout with police after the siege - has no apparent criminal history.
The federal government has offered its full support with the probe. President Barack Obama was being kept up to date by his homeland security and counterterrorism aide on what Florida officials are investigating as a terrorist attack.įBI official Ronald Hopper told reporters officials were 'confident' there was no immediate further threat to the area, or to the United States.īecause of the scale of the crime, however, Orlando's mayor declared a city-wide state of emergency and has asked the Florida governor to take the same measure state-wide.
