U.S. attorney general visits Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. — Attorney General Loretta Lynch is visiting Orlando today to meet with prosecutors, first responders and families of the victims of the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
The trip comes as the Justice Department investigates the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub, in which 49 people died and dozens were wounded.
Federal investigators who have conducted hundreds of interviews haven’t ruled out charges against others in connection with the shooting and say they’re still trying to determine why Omar Mateen, who died in a gun battle with police, picked as his target a popular gay nightclub.
More clues emerged Monday when the FBI released a partial transcript of phone calls Mateen had with a 911 operator and police crisis negotiators once the shooting was underway. He identified himself as an Islamic soldier, demanded to a crisis negotiator that the U.S. “stop bombing” Syria and Iraq, warned of future violence in the coming days and at one point pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group, the FBI said. The FBI says it’s found no evidence the attack was directed by a foreign terrorist organization.
