18/06/2016 Reporters - Short Edition

Welcome to this special edition of Reporters.

I'm Laura Bicker in Orlando, Florida, as America comes

to terms with its worst mass shooting in recent history.

We'll have a range of reports from our correspondents

on the aftermath of this attack, including what it might mean

for the nation's attitudes towards human rights and gun laws.

Coming up:

GUNFIRE

Oh my God, they're all shooting back and forth.

The moment a party turned into an atrocity.

Images shot by one of the victims of the United States' worst

terror attack since 9/11.

The US-born gunman who pledged allegiance to IS.

President Obama calls it an attack on all Americans.

And, love will prevail.

A video message from the gay community in Orlando

to the rest of the world.

Do not let fear take away your life.

Educate.

Be involved.

Love will always win.

49 dead, 53 injured.

The worst mass shooting in America's history unfolded in three hours

of hell at the Pulse nightclub here in Orlando, Florida.

President Obama described the attack at a gay nightclub as

an attack on all Americans.

The gunman, Omar Mateen, dialled 911 from the bathroom

of the club during the shootings to pledge allegiance

to the so-called Islamic State group.

But it later emerged that he may have visited the club

several times before.

Gabriel Gatehouse has this report on how the tragedy unfolded.

And I should warn you,

there may be some disturbing images in his report.

MUSIC

It's Latino night at Pulse, a buzzing gay nightclub

in downtown Orlando.

By closing time, the dance floor is nearly full.

At 2:02am, Omar Mateen goes inside and starts

shooting into the crowd.

An off-duty police officer, working at the nightclub,

exchanges fire with the gunman.

Eddie Justice texts his mother, Mina, from inside

a bathroom in the club.

"Mummy, I love you." In club, they're shooting."

At 2:09am, the club posts on its Facebook page,

"Everyone get out of Pulse and keep running".

Josean Garcia, a former DJ at the club, is out with a group

of nine friends, including Amanda and Mercedes.

We heard the gunshots,

and once we noticed it was real, everybody ducked to the floor.

It was right next to me.

I had blood all over my arms. And it was actually from him.

And the shooting just continued, it just continued.

It just didn't stop.

And as soon as it stopped and I kind of heard him like reloading,

I got up and ran to one of the back doors.

Amanda records a final video on Snapchat.

GUNFIRE

She and her best friend Mercedes are later confirmed dead.

Now Omar Mateen, armed with an assault rifle and a handgun,

begins to take hostages.

He calls 911, pledging allegiance to Islamic State,

and makes reference to the Boston Marathon bombs.

2:39am - still inside the bathroom,

Eddie Justice sends another message to his mother.

"He's coming, I'm going to die."

He too has since been confirmed as one of the dead.

At 5:05am, police and SWAT team members decide to move in.

They force their way into the club with explosives and a battering ram.

11 officers exchange gunfire with the shooter.

30 hostages are rescued.

5:48am - Orlando Police tweet,

"We can confirm this is a mass casualty situation."

At 5:53am, police confirm the shooter,

Omar Mateen, is dead.

7am - as the authorities begin to search for answers,

investigators inside the club hear victims' mobile phones

ringing as family members, desperate for news,

try to contact them.

Police say suspicious devices were found

on the gunman and in his car.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent In Charge,

Danny Banks, calls the shooting "an act of terrorism."

Any time that we have potentially dozens of victims in any

of our communities, then I think we can qualify that

as terrorist activity.

At 10:30am, law enforcement officials confirmed that 50 people,

including the shooter, are dead,

and 53 others are injured.

As America mourns, Orlando adds its name to an ever-growing list.

San Bernardino, Charleston, Sandy Hook, Fort Hood,

Virginia Tech, Columbine, and many more.

But the murder unleashed at the Pulse nightclub sets itself

apart in scale and in context.

Whilst families and friends of those killed try to come to terms

with their personal loss, the deadliest shooting in this

country's modern history has set off an explosive charge right along

America's most divisive political fault lines.

The attack at the Pulse nightclub here in Orlando was clearly

an act of terrorism.

But it was also a hate crime, perpetrated against Florida's gay

community.

Clive Myrie has been speaking to two Florida residents

about their responses to the tragedy.

They are a staple of suburban America - the stars and stripes.

Shorthand for certain values, a lover of country.

In Orlando this week, you'll also see this...

And this...

And they symbolise a love of country, too.

Billy Wilks has lived here for 28 years, and is proud to be gay.

I had an American flag out, but I changed it and put

that up the minute I heard about it.

Why? It just made me feel good.

It made me feel like I was paying respect to those that did

lose their lives.

It's in this painful moment that those who are LGBT can reflect

on how far they've come.

The killer, Omar Mateen, brought carnage here

because he hated society's embrace of the community.

But some are now questioning God's acceptance.

Reverend Terri Steed Pierce has been out for nearly 30 years.

I will continue to tell those people who come and question that

God is here with us, and wants better for us.

The killer tried to do that, you think, he tried to force

you back into the closet?

He was trying to force us back into a closet

that was never meant for us.

And we will stand tall and we will stand proud.

We can't be afraid.

As a city mourns, President Obama says the attack on the gay nightclub

was an attack on all Americans.

The outpouring of horror and grief nationwide is testament to that.

What is the one piece of advice the LGBT community has for young

viewers around the world who may have watched this tragedy unfold?

We compiled this video message from them to people,

young and old, in America and beyond, about facing adversity.

Dear LGBT youth...

You may have seen the tragedy that occurred here in Orlando...

But we wanted to say...

Don't be scared.

Who you are is important for the future.

I love you.

Do not let fear take away your light.

Educate. Be involved.

Love will always win.

Don't let a man, with or without a gun, stop you ever

from being fierce.

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind killer.

Don't let the act of hate define who you are and who we are.

We are one, and love will always win.

Be strong, be proud, and most importantly, be you.

Never deny who you are.

You're made of star stuff.

Love is love.

No one can take away who you truly are.

Have faith in yourself and have faith in love.

Love is a powerful thing.

And at the end of the day, love will always prevail.

Love will always prevail.

That is a poignant message from the LGBT

community here in Florida.

Well, that's it for this special edition of Reporters.

We will leave you with some images of Orlando, and around the world,

as America mourns its worst mass shooting in recent US history.

From me, Laura Bicker, and the team here in Orlando, Florida, goodbye.

# O say can you see

# By the dawn's early light

# What so proudly we hailed

# At the twilight's last gleaming

# Through the perilous fight

# O'er the ramparts we watched

# Were so gallantly streaming

# Whose broad stripes and bright stars

# Through the perilous fight

# O'er the ramparts we watched

# Were so gallantly streaming... #