US Senator: Islamic State Claims Of Responsibility In Orlando Mass Shooting ‘Unconfirmed’
Senator Bill Nelson of Florida said on Sunday that a claim made by Daesh’s Amaq news agency that the group was responsible for a mass shooting in Orlando that left 50 dead was unconfirmed, Reuters reported.
“The Islamic State’s news agency has just issued a statement that says that they are responsible. That has not been confirmed,” Nelson said. “We’ll have to see what those connections are once we get the details.”
Early Sunday morning, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, a US citizen, opened fire on a LGBT club, killing at least 50 people and taking hostages before being killed in a gun battle with police.
According to Twitter accounts supporting Daesh, the group claimed they would attack Florida three days before the shooting. Several accounts praised Mateen’s actions.
Police are investigating whether Mateen in fact had connections to Daesh and carried out the massacre on their orders.
