Overview
A lone gunman stormed a nightclub in Orlando, Florida early Sunday morning and opened fire on patrons, resulting in the worst mass shooting in American history.
A total of 50 people were killed at Pulse Orlando — a popular gay nightclub — including the gunman, who was eventually shot by police after holding a number of people hostage inside the club for several hours. Another 53 people were injured.
June is LGBTQ Pride Month and many people across the country were celebrating Pride this weekend, leading to speculation that the gunman was motivated by anti-gay sentiments.
Police identified the shooter as 29-year-old Omar Saddiqui Mateen and said he called 911 shortly before storming the club to profess his allegiance to the Islamic State group. The group later claimed responsibility for the attack, but the claim has not yet been verified.
“This is a sobering reminder that attacks on any American, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation, is an attack on all of us,” President Barack Obama said Sunday.
Key terms
lone wolf — a person who prefers to act or be alone
LGBTQ — an acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and queer
Islamic State — a militant organization in Syria and Iraq whose goal is the establishment and expansion of a state ruled by an Islamic religious and political leader
Warm-up questions
- What do you know about the shooting in Orlando, Florida over the weekend?
- Why was this shooting significant?
- What questions do you have about the shooting and what motivated it?
Critical thinking questions
- By opening fire at this particular nightclub, who was the shooter targeting?
- How does this incident differ from other recent mass shootings? How is it the same?
- What do you think the U.S. should do to prevent mass shootings like this in the future?
- How does news about mass shootings make you feel? What can you do if you are feeling overwhelmed by sadness, fear, anxiety, etc?
