Washington DC Pride event to go on despite increased security risk following Orlando Pulse mass shooting
A major Pride event will go ahead in Washington DC despite the increased security risk following a mass shooting which left 50 dead and more than 50 injured at a Florida gay club.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, the biggest mass shooting in American history took place at a gay club in Orlando, Florida, and left 50 dead and at least 52 injured.
The atrocity has become the deadliest mass shooting in American history.
The DC Capital Pride Festival will “go on as planned” today, reports the Washington Blade.
Capital Pride President Bernie Delia said: “We deplore the wanton and senseless act of terrorism in Orlando, Florida earlier this morning, and our thoughts are with the victims, their families and the people of central Florida,” Delia said in a statement.
“Capital Pride will observe a moment of silence from the Capital Stage at 1 p.m. in remembrance of the victims,” Delia added.
After the moment’s silence, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington will sing the national anthem as planned.
Delia added:“We will not give in to terrorism… That’s what they want.”
He continued:“Today’s Capital Pride Festival and Concert will go on as planned. We have every confidence in the security we are able to provide at our events, in large part because of our cooperative partnership with local and federal law enforcement agencies in the Washington, D.C. area, and the strong measures that are already in place for the city.”
The Mayor of Washington DC, Muriel Bowser released a statement reading: “Ahead of today’s Capital Pride Festival, I have been brief by MPD Chief Cathy Lanier about increased security measures.
“Today, as always, we will not be deterred by hate as we gather to celebrate love.”
With more than a hundred now confirmed dead or injured, the shooting has become the worst in American history – the second worst killing would be the Virginia Tech shooting of 2007, which left 32 people dead and 17 injured.
After that is the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook which left 20 children and six adults dead.
Omar Mateen was named as the shooter in the incident which killed at least 50.
The US citizen’s parents are from Afghanistan, and FBI agent Ron Hopper spoke to reporters to say that he may have leanings towards Islamic extremism.
But his father said the incident was not religiously motivated.
The shooter, a resident of Port St Lucie, Florida, was killed after a “gun battle” with police officers in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Now Mateen’s father has apologised for the incident, saying he did not think his son was religiously motivated.
He also said that his son, 29, got angry a few months ago after he saw two men kiss in Orlando.
The shooter, a resident of Port St Lucie, Florida, was killed after a “gun battle” with police officers in the early hours of Sunday morning.
His identity was revealed by CBS News, the Washington Post, and NBC News. The BBC suggests that although he was not on a terrorist watch-list, he may have been being investigated for a previous crime.
