The 50 deaths, so far, are 18 more than the 32 people a gunman killed in the second most-fatal massacre, at Virginia Tech in 2007, according to data from Mother Jones that goes back to 1982.
President Obama Calls Orlando Shooting an 'Act of Terror'
The third-deadliest shooting was at the Newtown elementary school in Connecticut in 2012 when 22 first-graders and six adult school staff members were killed. The fourth highest death toll was in San Bernardino in December when 14 were killed.
Next on the list of deadliest shootings is the 1999 tragedy at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, when 13 people were killed by two fellow students. Near Littleton, at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, another shooting massacre occurred in 2012, killing 12.
Orlando Nightclub Shooting: Understanding the Details
The massacre at an Orlando gay nightclub early this morning has been described as a "domestic terror incident," with at least 50 dead and 53 injured, officials said, making it the worst mass shooting in U.S. history and the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil since the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
The shooter has been identified by officials as Omar Mateen of St. Lucie County, Florida, a U.S.-born citizen with Afghani parents. After the shooting began, he called 911 to pledge his allegiance to ISIS, according to law enforcement officials.
ISIS supporters have cheered the massacre online and an ISIS communique referred to the shooter as an ISIS "fighter," but there’s no evidence that ISIS directed or had prior knowledge of the attack, terrorism observers told my source.
Suspect pledged allegiance to Isis, official says
Officials announced at a morning news conference that the death toll of the attack had risen to 50 dead, more than doubling what had been reported earlier. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer called today "the most difficult day in the history of Orlando" at news conference this afternoon.
"At this time we're looking at all angles right now," an FBI official said. "We do have suggestions that that individual may have leanings towards that, that particular ideology. But right now we can’t say definitively, so we’re still running everything around.”
The FBI also said Mateen "was organized and well-prepared," adding "he is not from this area."
Mateen's parents were born in Afghanistan, and he was "on the radar" of U.S. officials for some time, but was not the target of a specific investigation, law enforcement officials said to my source.
A police officer working at the club exchanged fire with Mateen outside of the club at 2:02 a.m., officials said at the news conference. Mateen then entered the club.
It turned into a hostage situation shortly thereafter, when Mateen took hostages. He was armed with an assault rifle, handgun and "some kind of device on him," officials said.
At approximately 5 a.m., the SWAT team made the decision to rescue the hostages, officials said. The shooter was killed in a gunfight with those officers. Eleven Orlando Police officers exchanged gunfire with the shooter, according to an FBI spokesman.
There were about 320 people inside the club at the time of the shootings, officials said.
Then at 5:53 a.m. Orlando police tweeted, "The shooter inside the nightclub is dead," referring to Pulse Nightclub, which bills itself on its website as "Orlando's Premier Gay Night Club."
"This can be classified as a domestic terror incident," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said at the news conference.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating this morning's shooting as "an act of terrorism." It said it will determine whether it is "domestic or international" terrorism.
There was a controlled explosion near the shooting scene, but police said it was caused by a device intended to distract the shooter. Police also said the shooting was not connected to Friday's fatal shooting, also in Orlando, of "The Voice" singer Christina Grimmie.
Rep. Alan Grayson, of Florida's 9th District, said during a news conference this morning that the attack was ideologically motivated.
"It's no coincidence the attack took place where it did and when it did," he said in reference to the fact that Pulse was a gay nightclub.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott spoke at a news conference this afternoon and asserted that “this is clearly an act of terror” and added that he has declared a state of emergency in Orange County, Florida. The state of emergency ensures the resources that are needed by the city from the state would be made available immediately, the governor said.
Later in the day, President Obama called the Pulse massacre "an act of terror and an act of hate." He called Mateen "a person filled with hatred."
He also stressed the resilience of the people in his state. "We're going to do everything we can to help bring the community together," he said.
George Stephanopoulos of my source interviewed Christine Leinonen, the mother of Christopher Leinonen, a young man who went missing inside of the club at the time of the attack.
"Please, let's all try to get rid of the hatred and the violence," she said, sobbing.
Credit: ABC News.
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