50 Shot Dead at Florida Gay Club

In what's the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, a gunman, now identified as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old U.S. citizen of Afghani descent, opened fire at a crowded gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, leaving 50 people dead, and another 53 injured. The gunman, who was holed up inside the club with dozens of people as hostages, was killed in a subsequent police raid. A state of emergency has been declared, and law enforcement officials have branded it an act of terrorism. Follow the rolling updates right here via The Guardian.

Worst US mass shootings in last 25 years (via BBC) -

• At least 50 dead, 2016 - Omar Mateen opens fire on revellers at gay club in Orlando, Florida
• 32 dead, 2007 - Student Seung-Hui Cho massacres students at Virginia Tech university before killing himself
• 27 dead, 2012 - Adam Lanza kills 20 six- and seven-year-old children and six adults before killing himself at Sandy Hook, Connecticut
• 23 dead, 1991 - George Hennard drives through the wall of a cafe in Killeen, Texas, before opening fire and committing suicide
• 14 dead, 2015 - Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik open fire at a staff gathering in San Bernardino
• 13 dead, 2009 - Maj Nidal Malik Hasan opens fire at army base in Fort Hood, Texas
• 13 dead, 2009 - Jiverly Wong shoots people at New York immigrant centre before killing himself
• 13 dead, 1999 - Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill fellow students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado