Autopsy report reveals Pulse shooter Omar Mateen shot eight times in standoff with police
An autopsy report has revealed that Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen was shot eight times before his death.
The medical examiner’s office on Friday revealed that Mateen was struck by eight bullets during a standoff with police in which he shot and killed 49 club goers.
The office also released autopsy reports on 31 of Mateen’s victims killed at the Orlando nightclub.
Police fired almost 150 bullets, according to police reports detailed in the Orlando Sentinel.
A 13-strong SWAT team engaged with Mateen in the shoot-out which took place at 05:14 on 12 June.
Mateen was pronounced “down” at 05:17.
Bullets fired by police struck the shooter in his head, chest, abdomen, calf, feet and toe.
“His body was married with several lacerations, as well as ‘blunt-force injuries’ such as bruising and scrapes to his torso,” reports the Sentinel.
The report could not reveal why Mateen had suffered blunt force trauma, but it revealed that the bullets, fired at long-range passed through his body.
The Sentinel reported that the bullets passed “through and through and the majority entered his body from front to back, suggesting he was shot while facing police, likely during the standoff.”
The 18 records for the remaining victims will be released in coming weeks.
49 people were killed and 53 injured in the terrorist hate crime attack,which saw a gunman open fire inside the Pulse gay bar in Orlando, Florida.
ISIS has since claimed responsibility for the attack, which was perpetrated by US citizen Omar Mateen. The majority of the victims were Latino.
In a statement, President Obama mourned the victims of the homophobic hate crime attack and called for greater restrictions on arms sales.
In response, Republican nominee Donald Trump said Obama should resign for failing to rally against Islam in his comments.
The attack has been condemned by American Muslim leaders, who addressed ISIS in saying: “You do not speak for us.”
But millions of people around the world have showed solidarity with the victims of the shooting and the community in Orlando,
A threat was posted to Craigslist in San Diego, praising the shooting in Orlando, and reading: “San Diego, you’re next”.
Two US Marines were investigated for posting a photo with an assault rifle with the caption “Coming to a gay bar near you” on Facebook.
