New Zealand: Death toll from mosque shootings reaches 50

A solemn New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Friday the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mosque-attack-shootings-took-place-at-two-locations-says-police-203422">deadly mosque shootings in Christchurch</a> had plunged the country into one of its "darkest days".

"Clearly, what has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence," Ardern said in an address to a shocked nation.

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/christchurch-mosque-attack-bangladesh-cricket-team-was-about-to-go-inside-safe-but-mentally-shocked-203418">gunman opened fire </a>inside the Masjid al Noor mosque during afternoon prayers, causing multiple fatalities.

"Many of those who will have been directly affected by this shooting may be migrants to New Zealand, they may even be refugees here," Ardern said.&nbsp;

"They have chosen to make New Zealand their home, and it is their home. They are us. The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not."

"They should have been in a safe environment," she said.&nbsp;

One person is in custody, but police said it was not yet clear if there were other people involved.

"There is no place in New Zealand for such acts of extreme and unprecedented violence," Ardern added.

"For now, my thoughts, and I'm sure the thoughts of all New Zealanders, are with those who have been affected, and also with their families."

Her comments were echoed by the leader of the opposition Simon Bridges.

"We stand with and support the New Zealand Islamic community," he said.

"No one in this country should live in fear, no matter their race or religion, their politics or their beliefs."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was among the foreign leaders who expressed their concern.

"I'm horrified by the reports I'm following of the serious shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand," he said.

"The situation is still unfolding but our thoughts and prayers are with our Kiwi cousins."

A solemn New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Friday the deadly mosque shootings in Christchurch had plunged the country into one of its "darkest days".

A solemn New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Friday the deadly mosque shootings in Christchurch had plunged the country into one of its "darkest days". "Clearly, what has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence," Ardern said in an address to a shocked nation. A gunman opened fire inside the Masjid al Noor mosque during afternoon prayers, causing multiple fatalities. "Many of those who will have been directly affected by this shooting may be migrants to New Zealand, they may even be refugees here," Ardern said. "They have chosen to make New Zealand their home, and it is their home. They are us. The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not." "They should have been in a safe environment," she said. One person is in custody, but police said it was not yet clear if there were other people involved. "There is no place in New Zealand for such acts of extreme and unprecedented violence," Ardern added. "For now, my thoughts, and I'm sure the thoughts of all New Zealanders, are with those who have been affected, and also with their families." Her comments were echoed by the leader of the opposition Simon Bridges. "We stand with and support the New Zealand Islamic community," he said. "No one in this country should live in fear, no matter their race or religion, their politics or their beliefs." Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was among the foreign leaders who expressed their concern. "I'm horrified by the reports I'm following of the serious shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand," he said. "The situation is still unfolding but our thoughts and prayers are with our Kiwi cousins."

New Zealand enduring one of its 'darkest days', says PM Jacinda Ardern after mosque shooting

New Zealand police were hunting "an active shooter" in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/christchurch-mosque-attack-bangladesh-cricket-team-was-about-to-go-inside-safe-but-mentally-shocked-203418">centre of Christchurch city on Friday </a>after a gunman opened fire at a mosque inflicting several casualties.

"A serious and evolving situation is occurring in Christchurch with an active shooter," New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said.

"Police are responding with its full capability to manage the situation, but the risk environment remains extremely high."

The Bangladesh cricket team was in the vicinity of the shooting but all members were safe, a team coach told media.

Media reported that a gunman opened fire inside mosque in Christchurch's Hagley Park. There were reports of armed police at a second mosque in the suburb of Linwood.

People in centre of the city should stay indoors, police said. All Christchurch schools and council buildings have been placed into lockdown.

Police did not immediately comment on whether the incident took place in the mosque or nearby. There is no official confirmation on casualties.

Media said shots had been fired near a mosque and a witness told broadcaster One News that he had seen three people lying on the ground, bleeding outside the building.

Radio New Zealand quoted a witness inside the mosque saying he heard shots fired and at least four people were lying on the ground and "there was blood everywhere".

"Horrified to hear of Christchurch mosque shootings. There is never a justification for that sort of hatred," said Amy Adams, a member of parliament from Christchurch.

The Bangladesh cricket team is in Christchurch to play New Zealand in a third cricket test starting on Saturday.

Mario Villavarayen, strength and conditioning coach of the Bangladesh cricket team said the team was close to where the shooting occurred, but was safe.

He said the players were shaken up but fine.

New Zealand police were hunting "an active shooter" in the centre of Christchurch city on Friday after a gunman opened fire at a mosque inflicting several casualties.

New Zealand police were hunting "an active shooter" in the centre of Christchurch city on Friday after a gunman opened fire at a mosque inflicting several casualties. "A serious and evolving situation is occurring in Christchurch with an active shooter," New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said. "Police are responding with its full capability to manage the situation, but the risk environment remains extremely high." The Bangladesh cricket team was in the vicinity of the shooting but all members were safe, a team coach told media. Media reported that a gunman opened fire inside mosque in Christchurch's Hagley Park. There were reports of armed police at a second mosque in the suburb of Linwood. People in centre of the city should stay indoors, police said. All Christchurch schools and council buildings have been placed into lockdown. Police did not immediately comment on whether the incident took place in the mosque or nearby. There is no official confirmation on casualties. Media said shots had been fired near a mosque and a witness told broadcaster One News that he had seen three people lying on the ground, bleeding outside the building. Radio New Zealand quoted a witness inside the mosque saying he heard shots fired and at least four people were lying on the ground and "there was blood everywhere". "Horrified to hear of Christchurch mosque shootings. There is never a justification for that sort of hatred," said Amy Adams, a member of parliament from Christchurch. The Bangladesh cricket team is in Christchurch to play New Zealand in a third cricket test starting on Saturday. Mario Villavarayen, strength and conditioning coach of the Bangladesh cricket team said the team was close to where the shooting occurred, but was safe. He said the players were shaken up but fine.

New Zealand police hunt 'active shooter' after gunman opens fire at mosque

The US government said Tuesday it was banning bump stocks, devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like machine guns and that were used in a mass shooting in Las Vegas in October 2017.&nbsp;

The devices, which harness the recoil of a semi-automatic rifle's discharge to make the trigger fire faster, effectively turn the weapons into machine guns, which are illegal, the Justice Department said.

Bump stocks allow a "shooter of a semi-automatic firearm to initiate a continuous firing cycle with a single pull of the trigger," the department said in a statement.

The devices were used by<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/las-vegas-shooting-white-house-refuses-to-debate-gun-control-as-death-toll-rises-to-59-20923"> Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock on a dozen rifles he deployed to kill 58 people </a>and wound 500 at an open concert last year, the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history.&nbsp;

Bump stocks allowed him to fire at a rate of nine bullets a second, before he turned his weapons on himself.

Following another <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/florida-shooting-suspect-was-part-of-white-supremacist-group-33018">gun massacre at a school in Parkland, Florida</a>, in February this year that left 17 people dead, more than a million people demonstrated for stricter gun control.

President Donald Trump announced his intention to ban bump stocks but refused restrictions on semi-automatic assault weapons.

The National Rifle Association, the powerful gun lobby, did not mount any major campaign to counter a bump stock ban.&nbsp;

Anyone owning a bump stock will have 90 days after the new regulation is published in the Federal Register to either hand in their devices to the authorities, or destroy them.

While a third of US households possess a firearm, the majority of Americans favour tougher gun controls such as background checks for people seeking to buy a weapon.

The US government said Tuesday it was banning bump stocks, devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like machine guns and that were used in a mass shooting in Las Vegas in October 2017.

The US government said Tuesday it was banning bump stocks, devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like machine guns and that were used in a mass shooting in Las Vegas in October 2017. The devices, which harness the recoil of a semi-automatic rifle's discharge to make the trigger fire faster, effectively turn the weapons into machine guns, which are illegal, the Justice Department said. Bump stocks allow a "shooter of a semi-automatic firearm to initiate a continuous firing cycle with a single pull of the trigger," the department said in a statement. The devices were used by Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock on a dozen rifles he deployed to kill 58 people and wound 500 at an open concert last year, the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history. Bump stocks allowed him to fire at a rate of nine bullets a second, before he turned his weapons on himself. Following another gun massacre at a school in Parkland, Florida, in February this year that left 17 people dead, more than a million people demonstrated for stricter gun control. President Donald Trump announced his intention to ban bump stocks but refused restrictions on semi-automatic assault weapons. The National Rifle Association, the powerful gun lobby, did not mount any major campaign to counter a bump stock ban. Anyone owning a bump stock will have 90 days after the new regulation is published in the Federal Register to either hand in their devices to the authorities, or destroy them. While a third of US households possess a firearm, the majority of Americans favour tougher gun controls such as background checks for people seeking to buy a weapon.

US bans 'bump stocks' on semi-automatic weapons used in mass shootings

WION Dispatch: Strasbourg attacker cried 'allahu akbar' while shooting

WION Speed News: Watch top international & national news of the morning, September 21, 2018

Texas&nbsp;Governor Greg Abbott is set to begin a three-day series of discussions with educators and law enforcement officials on improving&nbsp;school&nbsp;safety&nbsp;on Tuesday, days&nbsp;after&nbsp;a teenager killed 10 people at a Houston-area high&nbsp;school.

Abbott will meet with two dozen people, including supporters and opponents of arming teachers, following the fourth-deadliest US&nbsp;school&nbsp;shooting&nbsp;this year at Santa Fe High&nbsp;School&nbsp;in Santa Fe, Texas&nbsp;on Friday.

"I am seeking the best solutions to make our&nbsp;schools more secure and to keep our communities safe," he said in a statement. "I look forward to hearing from all sides of the debate, and from expert perspectives on these issues."

Abbott, a Republican, has vowed that any changes to state laws would "protect Second Amendment rights."

The Second Amendment of the US&nbsp;Constitution enshrines the right to bear arms. Gun rights proponents say it prohibits regulations on gun ownership and that enforcement of existing laws should be sufficient to stop violent incidents like the one in Santa Fe.

Gun control groups point to the regular toll of&nbsp;shootings across the United States as evidence that more needs to be done to rein in the proliferation of weapons.

The US&nbsp;Supreme Court has avoided major gun cases for a number of years, leaving in place restrictions on guns enacted by some states.

In contrast to Florida, where the killing of 17 teens and educators in February sparked a youth-led movement calling for new restrictions on gun ownership, the&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;tragedy saw elected officials and survivors alike voicing support for gun rights.

Some gun rights proponents in&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;have embraced the idea of arming teachers, a strategy advocated by the National Rifle Association and US&nbsp;President Donald Trump. That solution is largely rejected by survivors and parents in Parkland, Florida,&nbsp;after&nbsp;the carnage there.

Police arrested Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, at the Santa Fe&nbsp;school&nbsp;following the rampage they said he committed with a shotgun and .38-caliber pistol. He is charged with capital murder of 10 people - eight students and two teachers.

Police said Pagourtzis confessed to Friday's killings&nbsp;after&nbsp;he was taken into custody, but they have offered no motive yet for the&nbsp;massacre.

He is being held without bond, on suicide watch, at the Galveston County Jail in nearby Galveston, Sheriff Henry Trochesset said.

Pagourtzis' family said in a statement it was "saddened and dismayed" by the&nbsp;shooting.

Greg Abbott will meet with two dozen people, including supporters and opponents of arming teachers, following the fourth-deadliest US school shooting this year at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is set to begin a three-day series of discussions with educators and law enforcement officials on improving school safety on Tuesday, days after a teenager killed 10 people at a Houston-area high school. Abbott will meet with two dozen people, including supporters and opponents of arming teachers, following the fourth-deadliest US school shooting this year at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas on Friday. "I am seeking the best solutions to make our schools more secure and to keep our communities safe," he said in a statement. "I look forward to hearing from all sides of the debate, and from expert perspectives on these issues." Abbott, a Republican, has vowed that any changes to state laws would "protect Second Amendment rights." The Second Amendment of the US Constitution enshrines the right to bear arms. Gun rights proponents say it prohibits regulations on gun ownership and that enforcement of existing laws should be sufficient to stop violent incidents like the one in Santa Fe. Gun control groups point to the regular toll of shootings across the United States as evidence that more needs to be done to rein in the proliferation of weapons. The US Supreme Court has avoided major gun cases for a number of years, leaving in place restrictions on guns enacted by some states. In contrast to Florida, where the killing of 17 teens and educators in February sparked a youth-led movement calling for new restrictions on gun ownership, the Texas tragedy saw elected officials and survivors alike voicing support for gun rights. Some gun rights proponents in Texas have embraced the idea of arming teachers, a strategy advocated by the National Rifle Association and US President Donald Trump. That solution is largely rejected by survivors and parents in Parkland, Florida, after the carnage there. Police arrested Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, at the Santa Fe school following the rampage they said he committed with a shotgun and .38-caliber pistol. He is charged with capital murder of 10 people - eight students and two teachers. Police said Pagourtzis confessed to Friday's killings after he was taken into custody, but they have offered no motive yet for the massacre. He is being held without bond, on suicide watch, at the Galveston County Jail in nearby Galveston, Sheriff Henry Trochesset said. Pagourtzis' family said in a statement it was "saddened and dismayed" by the shooting.

Texas mulls school safety days after mass shooting

A 17-year-old boy in Plano, Texas, has been arrested for allegedly plotting a mass shooting attack inspired by the Islamic State at a shopping mall, law enforcement agencies said on Wednesday.

The FBI and police said high school student Matin Azizi-Yarand had planned the attack for mid-May and had sought to recruit others for the shooting. Authorities also said he had drafted a "Message to America" justifying his planned attack.

The FBI and local authorities in Collin County, Texas, said that at the time of his arrest, Azizi-Yarand had sent "more than $1400 to others" to buy weapons and tactical gear.

In an affidavit, investigators said Azizi-Yarand began communicating online with an FBI "confidential human source" last December about his desire to travel abroad or to conduct an attack in the United States.

He compared himself to other recent "lone wolf" attackers, investigators said. "Look at all the other lone wolves// What training did they have yet they simply killed the kuffar? (Arabic for 'disbelievers')," Azizi-Yarand told the FBI source, according to the affidavit.

Prosecutors say Azizi-Yarand told the FBI source: "The brothers in Europe the brother in spain the brother in New York? Had no military training//it's not about numbers it's about getting a message across to these taghut countries," using an Islamic term denoting a focus of worship other than Allah.

Later in the discussion, investigators say, Azizi-Yarand told the FBI source he wanted "to put America in the state that Europe is in which is having to have soldiers deployed in streets" and also do "something that will cost them a lot financially too."

While the FBI and a Joint Terrorism Task force conducted the investigation leading to Azizi-Yarand's arrest, so far he has only being charged under Texas state law. Authorities said if he is convicted, he would face up to life in prison for soliciting others to participate in his planned attack, and up to 10 years in prison for making a terroristic threat.

He is currently in custody and bond has been set at $3 million.

The FBI and local police said high school student Matin Azizi-Yarand had planned the attack for mid-May and had sought to recruit others to participate in the shooting

A 17-year-old boy in Plano, Texas, has been arrested for allegedly plotting a mass shooting attack inspired by the Islamic State at a shopping mall, law enforcement agencies said on Wednesday. The FBI and police said high school student Matin Azizi-Yarand had planned the attack for mid-May and had sought to recruit others for the shooting. Authorities also said he had drafted a "Message to America" justifying his planned attack. The FBI and local authorities in Collin County, Texas, said that at the time of his arrest, Azizi-Yarand had sent "more than $1400 to others" to buy weapons and tactical gear. In an affidavit, investigators said Azizi-Yarand began communicating online with an FBI "confidential human source" last December about his desire to travel abroad or to conduct an attack in the United States. He compared himself to other recent "lone wolf" attackers, investigators said. "Look at all the other lone wolves// What training did they have yet they simply killed the kuffar? (Arabic for 'disbelievers')," Azizi-Yarand told the FBI source, according to the affidavit. Prosecutors say Azizi-Yarand told the FBI source: "The brothers in Europe the brother in spain the brother in New York? Had no military training//it's not about numbers it's about getting a message across to these taghut countries," using an Islamic term denoting a focus of worship other than Allah. Later in the discussion, investigators say, Azizi-Yarand told the FBI source he wanted "to put America in the state that Europe is in which is having to have soldiers deployed in streets" and also do "something that will cost them a lot financially too." While the FBI and a Joint Terrorism Task force conducted the investigation leading to Azizi-Yarand's arrest, so far he has only being charged under Texas state law. Authorities said if he is convicted, he would face up to life in prison for soliciting others to participate in his planned attack, and up to 10 years in prison for making a terroristic threat. He is currently in custody and bond has been set at $3 million.

Texas teen arrested for allegedly plotting IS-inspired mass shooting at mall: US authorities

Country star Jason Aldean said on Tuesday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/las-vegas-shooting-white-house-refuses-to-debate-gun-control-as-death-toll-rises-to-59-20923">he would cancel three shows this week to honour victims </a>of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/las-vegas-shooting-white-house-refuses-to-debate-gun-control-as-death-toll-rises-to-59-20923" target="_blank">the deadliest mass shooting in modern US&nbsp;history</a> in which a gunman opened fire on a crowd at a Las Vegas music festival during the singer&#39;s performance.

Aldean cancelled stops in<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rat-a-tat-of-las-vegas-gunfire-points-to-automatic-or-modified-weapons-20937"> Los Angeles, San Diego and Anaheim, California, as part of his</a> &quot;They Don&#39;t Know Tour.&quot; The tour will resume in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on October 12 and refunds will be offered for the cancelled shows.

&quot;I feel like out of respect for the victims, their families and our fans, it is the right thing to do. It has been an emotional time for everyone involved this week, so we plan to take some time to mourn the ones we have lost and been close with our family and friends,&quot; Aldean said in a statement.

The singer added: &quot;Our first time back onstage will be a very tough and emotional thing for us, but we will all get through it together and honour the people we lost by doing the only thing we know how to do - play our songs for them.&quot;

Aldean was on stage on Sunday night at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival when Stephen Paddock, a retiree armed with multiple assault rifles, strafed the crowd at the concert from a high-rise hotel window, killing 59 people. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/las-vegas-shooting-at-least-58-dead-more-than-500-wounded-20918" target="_blank">The massacre left more than 525 people injured.</a>

Jennifer Lopez, currently in her &quot;Jennifer Lopez: All I Have&quot; residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, also cancelled her scheduled shows this week. The performances will be rescheduled for later dates.

&quot;Jennifer is heartbroken that such a senseless tragedy occurred. Her thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,&quot; the singer&#39;s representatives said in a statement on Tuesday.

Organizers of the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Texas said on Tuesday they would offer refunds to people who no longer want to attend for security concerns after the Las Vegas shooting.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/why-investigators-look-for-motive-behind-deadliest-mass-shooting-in-modern-us-history-20962" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;Investigators look for motive behind deadliest mass shooting in modern US history</a>

Earlier this week, Warner Bros. said it would scale back Tuesday&#39;s world premiere of sci-fi film &quot;Blade Runner 2049&quot; after the Las Vegas tragedy, cancelling the red carpet, where stars chat to reporters and pose for photos.

ESPN&#39;s &quot;Monday Night Football&quot; and ABC&#39;s Monday episode of &quot;Dancing With the Stars&quot; both opened with a moment of silence for the victims of the tragedy.

Jason Aldean cancel his shows in honour of victims of Las Vegas shooting in which a gunman open fired on a crowd during the singer's performance

Country star Jason Aldean said on Tuesday he would cancel three shows this week to honour victims of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history in which a gunman opened fire on a crowd at a Las Vegas music festival during the singer's performance. Aldean cancelled stops in Los Angeles, San Diego and Anaheim, California, as part of his "They Don't Know Tour." The tour will resume in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on October 12 and refunds will be offered for the cancelled shows. "I feel like out of respect for the victims, their families and our fans, it is the right thing to do. It has been an emotional time for everyone involved this week, so we plan to take some time to mourn the ones we have lost and been close with our family and friends," Aldean said in a statement. The singer added: "Our first time back onstage will be a very tough and emotional thing for us, but we will all get through it together and honour the people we lost by doing the only thing we know how to do - play our songs for them." Aldean was on stage on Sunday night at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival when Stephen Paddock, a retiree armed with multiple assault rifles, strafed the crowd at the concert from a high-rise hotel window, killing 59 people. The massacre left more than 525 people injured. Jennifer Lopez, currently in her "Jennifer Lopez: All I Have" residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, also cancelled her scheduled shows this week. The performances will be rescheduled for later dates. "Jennifer is heartbroken that such a senseless tragedy occurred. Her thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," the singer's representatives said in a statement on Tuesday. Organizers of the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Texas said on Tuesday they would offer refunds to people who no longer want to attend for security concerns after the Las Vegas shooting. Also Read: Investigators look for motive behind deadliest mass shooting in modern US history Earlier this week, Warner Bros. said it would scale back Tuesday's world premiere of sci-fi film "Blade Runner 2049" after the Las Vegas tragedy, cancelling the red carpet, where stars chat to reporters and pose for photos. ESPN's "Monday Night Football" and ABC's Monday episode of "Dancing With the Stars" both opened with a moment of silence for the victims of the tragedy.

Jennifer Lopez, Jason Aldean cancel shows after Las Vegas shooting

America has experienced yet another mass shooting, this time at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the strip in Las Vegas, Nevada.&nbsp;It is reportedly the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

As a criminologist, I have reviewed recent research in hopes of debunking some of the common misconceptions I hear creeping into discussions that spring up whenever a mass shooting occurs. Here&rsquo;s some recent scholarship about mass shootings that should help you identify misinformation when you hear it.

<figure>
#1: More guns don&rsquo;t make you safer
</figure>

A study I conducted on mass shootings indicated that this phenomenon is not limited to the United States.

Mass shootings also took place in 25 other wealthy nations between 1983 and 2013, but the number of mass shootings in the United States far surpasses that of any other country included in the study during the same period of time.

The U.S. had 78 mass shootings during that 30-year period.

The highest number of mass shootings experienced outside the United States was in Germany &ndash; where seven shootings occurred.

In the other 24 industrialized countries taken together, 41 mass shootings took place.

In other words, the U.S. had nearly double the number of mass shootings than all other 24 countries combined in the same 30-year period.

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Another significant finding is that mass shootings and gun ownership rates are highly correlated. The higher the gun ownership rate, the more a country is susceptible to experiencing mass shooting incidents. This association remains high even when the number of incidents from the United States is withdrawn from the analysis.

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<hr />
Similar results have been found by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime,&nbsp;which states that countries with higher levels of firearm ownership also have higher firearm homicide rates.

My study also shows a strong correlation between mass shooting casualties and overall death by firearms rates. However, in this last analysis, the relation seems to be mainly driven by the very high number of deaths by firearms in the United States. The relation disappears when the United States is withdrawn from the analysis.

#2: Shootings are more frequent

A recent study published by the Harvard Injury Control Research Center shows that the frequency of mass shooting is increasing over time. The researchers measured the increase by calculating the time between the occurrence of mass shootings. According to the research, the days separating mass shooting occurrence went from on average 200 days during the period of 1983 to 2011 to 64 days since 2011.

What is most alarming with mass shootings is the fact that this increasing trend is moving in the opposite direction of overall intentional homicide rates in the U.S., which decreased by almost 50 percent since 1993 and in Europe where intentional homicides decreased by 40 percent between 2003 and 2013.

#3: Restricting sales works

Due to the Second Amendment, the United States has permissive gun licensing laws. This is in contrast to most developed countries, which have restrictive laws.

According to a seminal work by criminologists, George Newton and Franklin Zimring,&nbsp;permissive gun licensing laws refer to a system in which all but specially prohibited groups of persons can purchase a firearm. In such a system, an individual does not have to justify purchasing a weapon; rather, the licensing authority has the burden of proof to deny gun acquisition.

By contrast, restrictive gun licensing laws refer to a system in which individuals who want to purchase firearms must demonstrate to a licensing authority that they have valid reasons to get a gun &ndash; like using it on a shooting range or going hunting &ndash; and that they demonstrate &ldquo;good character.&rdquo;

The type of gun law adopted has important impacts. Countries with more restrictive gun licensing laws show fewer deaths by firearms and a lower gun ownership rate.

#4: Background checks work

In&nbsp;most restrictive background checks&nbsp;performed in developed countries, citizens are required to train for gun handling, obtain a license for hunting or provide proof of membership to a shooting range.

Individuals must prove that they do not belong to any &ldquo;prohibited group,&rdquo; such as the mentally ill, criminals, children or those at high risk of committing a violent crime, such as individuals with a police record of threatening the life of another.

Here&rsquo;s the bottom line. With these provisions, most U.S. active shooters would have been denied the purchase of a firearm.

#5: Not all mass shootings are terrorism

Journalists sometimes describe the mass shooting as a form of domestic terrorism. This connection may be misleading.

There is no doubt that mass shootings are &ldquo;terrifying&rdquo; and &ldquo;terrorize&rdquo; the community where they have happened. However, not all active shooters involved in the mass shooting have a political message or cause.

For example, the church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina in June 2015 was a hate crime but was not judged&nbsp;by the federal government to&nbsp;be a terrorist act.

The majority of active shooters are linked to mental health issues, bullying and disgruntled employees. Active shooters may be motivated by a variety of personal or political motivations, usually not aimed at weakening government legitimacy. Frequent motivations are revenge or a quest for power.

#6: Historical comparisons may be flawed

Beginning in 2008, the FBI used a&nbsp;narrow definition of mass shootings. They limited to mass shootings to incidents where an individual &ndash; or in rare circumstances, more than one &ndash; &ldquo;kills four or more people in a single incident (not including the shooter), typically in a single location.&rdquo;

In 2013, the FBI changed its definition, moving away from &ldquo;mass shootings&rdquo; toward identifying an &ldquo;active shooter&rdquo; as &ldquo;an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.&rdquo; This change means the agency now includes incidents in which fewer than four people die, but in which several are injured, like this 2014 shooting in New Orleans.

This change in definition impacted directly the number of cases included in studies and affected the comparability of studies conducted before and after 2013.

Some researchers on the mass shooting, like Northeastern University&nbsp;criminologist James Alan Fox, have even incorporated in their studies several types of multiple homicides that cannot be defined as mass shooting: for instance, familicide (a form of domestic violence) and gang murders.

In the case of familicide, victims are exclusively family members and not random bystanders.

Gang murders are usually crime for profit or a punishment for rival gangs or a member of the gang who is an informer. Such homicides don&rsquo;t belong in the analysis of mass shootings.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" nofollow="" rel="">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/six-things-to-know-about-mass-shootings-in-america-48934" nofollow="" rel="">original article</a>.

The United States has experienced most mass shootings (66 per cent) between 1983 to 2013

America has experienced yet another mass shooting, this time at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is reportedly the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. As a criminologist, I have reviewed recent research in hopes of debunking some of the common misconceptions I hear creeping into discussions that spring up whenever a mass shooting occurs. Here’s some recent scholarship about mass shootings that should help you identify misinformation when you hear it. #1: More guns don’t make you safer A study I conducted on mass shootings indicated that this phenomenon is not limited to the United States. Mass shootings also took place in 25 other wealthy nations between 1983 and 2013, but the number of mass shootings in the United States far surpasses that of any other country included in the study during the same period of time. The U.S. had 78 mass shootings during that 30-year period. The highest number of mass shootings experienced outside the United States was in Germany – where seven shootings occurred. In the other 24 industrialized countries taken together, 41 mass shootings took place. In other words, the U.S. had nearly double the number of mass shootings than all other 24 countries combined in the same 30-year period. Another significant finding is that mass shootings and gun ownership rates are highly correlated. The higher the gun ownership rate, the more a country is susceptible to experiencing mass shooting incidents. This association remains high even when the number of incidents from the United States is withdrawn from the analysis. Similar results have been found by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, which states that countries with higher levels of firearm ownership also have higher firearm homicide rates. My study also shows a strong correlation between mass shooting casualties and overall death by firearms rates. However, in this last analysis, the relation seems to be mainly driven by the very high number of deaths by firearms in the United States. The relation disappears when the United States is withdrawn from the analysis. #2: Shootings are more frequent A recent study published by the Harvard Injury Control Research Center shows that the frequency of mass shooting is increasing over time. The researchers measured the increase by calculating the time between the occurrence of mass shootings. According to the research, the days separating mass shooting occurrence went from on average 200 days during the period of 1983 to 2011 to 64 days since 2011. What is most alarming with mass shootings is the fact that this increasing trend is moving in the opposite direction of overall intentional homicide rates in the U.S., which decreased by almost 50 percent since 1993 and in Europe where intentional homicides decreased by 40 percent between 2003 and 2013. #3: Restricting sales works Due to the Second Amendment, the United States has permissive gun licensing laws. This is in contrast to most developed countries, which have restrictive laws. According to a seminal work by criminologists, George Newton and Franklin Zimring, permissive gun licensing laws refer to a system in which all but specially prohibited groups of persons can purchase a firearm. In such a system, an individual does not have to justify purchasing a weapon; rather, the licensing authority has the burden of proof to deny gun acquisition. By contrast, restrictive gun licensing laws refer to a system in which individuals who want to purchase firearms must demonstrate to a licensing authority that they have valid reasons to get a gun – like using it on a shooting range or going hunting – and that they demonstrate “good character.” The type of gun law adopted has important impacts. Countries with more restrictive gun licensing laws show fewer deaths by firearms and a lower gun ownership rate. #4: Background checks work In most restrictive background checks performed in developed countries, citizens are required to train for gun handling, obtain a license for hunting or provide proof of membership to a shooting range. Individuals must prove that they do not belong to any “prohibited group,” such as the mentally ill, criminals, children or those at high risk of committing a violent crime, such as individuals with a police record of threatening the life of another. Here’s the bottom line. With these provisions, most U.S. active shooters would have been denied the purchase of a firearm. #5: Not all mass shootings are terrorism Journalists sometimes describe the mass shooting as a form of domestic terrorism. This connection may be misleading. There is no doubt that mass shootings are “terrifying” and “terrorize” the community where they have happened. However, not all active shooters involved in the mass shooting have a political message or cause. For example, the church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina in June 2015 was a hate crime but was not judged by the federal government to be a terrorist act. The majority of active shooters are linked to mental health issues, bullying and disgruntled employees. Active shooters may be motivated by a variety of personal or political motivations, usually not aimed at weakening government legitimacy. Frequent motivations are revenge or a quest for power. #6: Historical comparisons may be flawed Beginning in 2008, the FBI used a narrow definition of mass shootings. They limited to mass shootings to incidents where an individual – or in rare circumstances, more than one – “kills four or more people in a single incident (not including the shooter), typically in a single location.” In 2013, the FBI changed its definition, moving away from “mass shootings” toward identifying an “active shooter” as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.” This change means the agency now includes incidents in which fewer than four people die, but in which several are injured, like this 2014 shooting in New Orleans. This change in definition impacted directly the number of cases included in studies and affected the comparability of studies conducted before and after 2013. Some researchers on the mass shooting, like Northeastern University criminologist James Alan Fox, have even incorporated in their studies several types of multiple homicides that cannot be defined as mass shooting: for instance, familicide (a form of domestic violence) and gang murders. In the case of familicide, victims are exclusively family members and not random bystanders. Gang murders are usually crime for profit or a punishment for rival gangs or a member of the gang who is an informer. Such homicides don’t belong in the analysis of mass shootings. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Six things to know about mass shootings in America

A student shot and killed another student and wounded three others on Wednesday&nbsp;at a high school in the northwestern state of Washington before being disarmed, authorities said.

The shooting took place at Freeman High School in Spokane County, Washington state, 285 miles (460 kilometers) from Seattle, where witnesses described a scene of terror as the heavily armed shooter stalked the halls.

County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich told reporters the shooter was a student who was armed with more than one weapon, reportedly a rifle and a handgun.

&quot;He proceeded to take his weapons out. At that point, he attempted to fire one weapon and jammed,&quot; the sheriff said.

&quot;He went to his next weapon and a student walked up to him, engaged him, and that student was shot. That student did not survive,&quot; he said.

&quot;He then fired more shots around down the hallway, striking three more students and those students are in the hospital,&quot; he said.

Knezovich said the shooter was finally disabled by &quot;a member of the Freeman community,&quot; before police arrived on the scene.

The Spokesman-Review, a local news site, said the student was tackled by a school custodian.

&nbsp;&#39;A loud pop&#39;&nbsp;

It said the bloodshed began outside a biology class on the school&#39;s second floor.

&quot;I was putting my backpack away and I heard a loud pop, and I turned around. He was walking around,&quot; Elisa Vigil, a 14-year-old freshman, told the Spokesman-Review.

&quot;He had his pistol. His face was completely passive. He shot someone in the head. I crouched down in the hall. I looked up and a girl screamed, &#39;Help me, help me, help me.&#39; The hall was empty. She was shot in the back. I looked to my right, and there was a boy and he was shot in the head.&quot;

The three wounded students were all girls, it said. They were reported in stable condition at a local hospital.

Students told the news site the shooter was a sophomore who had ridden the school bus to classes with his weapons concealed in a duffel bag.

&quot;We need to understand what&#39;s going on in our society that students feel they need to take a weapon to solve the problems they are dealing with,&quot; Knezovich said.

&#39;Nice and funny and weird&#39;&nbsp;

Freeman High School has only 327 students, serving a small community near the city of Spokane.

Students said everyone knew each other, and some told local media they knew the shooter.

&quot;He was handing out a note to his friend saying he would do something stupid that could get him killed or in jail,&quot; one student told KXLY television. &quot;That was a few weeks ago.&quot;

Michael Harper, 15, told the Spokesman-Review that he was a good friend of the shooter.

&quot;He was weird,&quot; Harper was quoted as saying. &quot;And he loved the show Breaking Bad. He never really seemed like that person who had issues. He was always nice and funny and weird.&quot;

&nbsp;Anxious parents&nbsp;

A large contingent of police and firefighters responded to a call to their emergency line, and anxious parents began arriving at the school.

Cheryl Moser said her son, a freshman, called her from a second-floor classroom after hearing shots fired.

&quot;He called me and said, &#39;Mom, there are gunshots.&#39; He sounded so scared. I&#39;ve never heard him like that,&quot; Moser told the Spokesman-Review.

The state governor, Jay Inslee, said the shooting was &quot;heart-breaking.&quot;

&quot;As Spokane County officials continue their investigation to get the answers to the questions so many of us have during these unthinkable tragedies, the Washington State Patrol and all state agencies will do whatever we can to help provide support and comfort in the days and weeks to come,&quot; Inslee said.

An &quot;active shooter&quot; was arrested last Friday at a school in Columbus, Ohio, although no one was injured in that incident.

A year ago, an adolescent killed his father and then shot and wounded two children and a teacher at a South Carolina primary school.

According to the Gun Violence website, 253 mass shootings, defined as four or more people shot in a single incident, have been reported in the United States so far this year, including&nbsp;Wednesday&#39;s&nbsp;shooting in Washington state.

The shooting took place at Freeman High School in Spokane County, Washington state, 285 miles (460 kilometers) from Seattle, where witnesses described a scene of terror as the heavily armed shooter stalked the halls

A student shot and killed another student and wounded three others on Wednesday at a high school in the northwestern state of Washington before being disarmed, authorities said. The shooting took place at Freeman High School in Spokane County, Washington state, 285 miles (460 kilometers) from Seattle, where witnesses described a scene of terror as the heavily armed shooter stalked the halls. County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich told reporters the shooter was a student who was armed with more than one weapon, reportedly a rifle and a handgun. "He proceeded to take his weapons out. At that point, he attempted to fire one weapon and jammed," the sheriff said. "He went to his next weapon and a student walked up to him, engaged him, and that student was shot. That student did not survive," he said. "He then fired more shots around down the hallway, striking three more students and those students are in the hospital," he said. Knezovich said the shooter was finally disabled by "a member of the Freeman community," before police arrived on the scene. The Spokesman-Review, a local news site, said the student was tackled by a school custodian. 'A loud pop' It said the bloodshed began outside a biology class on the school's second floor. "I was putting my backpack away and I heard a loud pop, and I turned around. He was walking around," Elisa Vigil, a 14-year-old freshman, told the Spokesman-Review. "He had his pistol. His face was completely passive. He shot someone in the head. I crouched down in the hall. I looked up and a girl screamed, 'Help me, help me, help me.' The hall was empty. She was shot in the back. I looked to my right, and there was a boy and he was shot in the head." The three wounded students were all girls, it said. They were reported in stable condition at a local hospital. Students told the news site the shooter was a sophomore who had ridden the school bus to classes with his weapons concealed in a duffel bag. "We need to understand what's going on in our society that students feel they need to take a weapon to solve the problems they are dealing with," Knezovich said. 'Nice and funny and weird' Freeman High School has only 327 students, serving a small community near the city of Spokane. Students said everyone knew each other, and some told local media they knew the shooter. "He was handing out a note to his friend saying he would do something stupid that could get him killed or in jail," one student told KXLY television. "That was a few weeks ago." Michael Harper, 15, told the Spokesman-Review that he was a good friend of the shooter. "He was weird," Harper was quoted as saying. "And he loved the show Breaking Bad. He never really seemed like that person who had issues. He was always nice and funny and weird." Anxious parents A large contingent of police and firefighters responded to a call to their emergency line, and anxious parents began arriving at the school. Cheryl Moser said her son, a freshman, called her from a second-floor classroom after hearing shots fired. "He called me and said, 'Mom, there are gunshots.' He sounded so scared. I've never heard him like that," Moser told the Spokesman-Review. The state governor, Jay Inslee, said the shooting was "heart-breaking." "As Spokane County officials continue their investigation to get the answers to the questions so many of us have during these unthinkable tragedies, the Washington State Patrol and all state agencies will do whatever we can to help provide support and comfort in the days and weeks to come," Inslee said. An "active shooter" was arrested last Friday at a school in Columbus, Ohio, although no one was injured in that incident. A year ago, an adolescent killed his father and then shot and wounded two children and a teacher at a South Carolina primary school. According to the Gun Violence website, 253 mass shootings, defined as four or more people shot in a single incident, have been reported in the United States so far this year, including Wednesday's shooting in Washington state.

One dead, three wounded in northwest US school shooting

The US Senate on Monday rejected four measures restricting gun sales after last week&#39;s massacre in an Orlando nightclub, dealing a bitter setback to advocates who have failed to get even modest gun curbs through Congress despite repeated mass shootings. 
 
A group of senators was still hoping to forge a compromise for later in the week aimed at keeping firearms away from people on terrorism watch lists, although that effort faced an uphill battle with critics in both parties skeptical about its chances. 
 
Last week&#39;s massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, had intensified pressure on lawmakers, who moved swiftly to take the issue to the Senate floor. But the gun-control measures lost in largely party-line votes that showed the lingering political power in Congress of gun rights defenders and the National Rifle Association (NRA). 
 
Republicans and their allies in the NRA gun lobby said the Democratic bills were too restrictive and trampled on the constitutional right to bear arms. Democrats attacked the Republicans&#39; two proposals as too weak and accused them of being in the thrall of the NRA. 
 
&quot;What am I going to tell the community of Orlando?&quot; asked Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida after the votes. &quot;Sadly, what I&rsquo;m going to tell them is the NRA won again.&quot; 
 
Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, attacked the Democrats&#39; amendments and thanked Republicans for rejecting them. &quot;Today, the American people witnessed an embarrassing display in the United States,&quot; he said. 
 
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said the Democratic measures were ineffective and Republican senators &quot;are pursuing real solutions that can help keep Americans safer from the threat of terrorism.&quot; 
 
As the parties remain largely locked in their positions, polls show Americans are increasingly in favor of more restrictions on guns in a country with more than 310 million weapons, about one for every citizen. 
 
The issue is already a prominent one for voters in November elections. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton supports new gun restrictions, while Republican Donald Trump expressed a willingness to talk to the NRA about the issue. 
 
After the votes, Clinton issued a one-word statement: &quot;Enough.&quot; It was followed by the names and ages of the dead in Orlando. 
 
Gun control efforts failed after mass shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012 and a conference center in San Bernardino, California, in 2015. But some senators see resistance to gun restrictions softening as national security looms larger in the debate. 
 
The Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, pledged allegiance to the militant group Islamic State as he killed 49 people in a gay nightclub. 
 
&quot;This country is under attack ... it&#39;s not a plane or an explosive device, it&#39;s an assault weapon,&quot; said Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat who led a 15-hour filibuster last week to draw attention to the effort to restrict guns. 
 
&#39;Shame on every single senator&#39; 
 
Murphy walked off the floor after the Senate votes and embraced Erica Smegielski, the daughter of Dawn Hochsprung, a Sandy Hook principal killed during the Newtown shooting. 
 
&quot;He said, the good thing about me and you is we&rsquo;re young, we&rsquo;ll be at this a long time,&quot; said Smegielski, 30. 
 
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week found that 71 per cent of Americans favor at least moderate regulations and restrictions on gun sales. That compared with 60 per cent in late 2013 and late 2014. 
 
Senior Senate aides left open the possibility of other votes later in the week on unspecified gun control proposals. Some Republicans pinned hopes on a proposal by Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, which was not one of the four bills being considered on Monday. 
 
Collins&#39; plan would restrict gun purchases to a narrow group of suspects, including those on a &quot;no-fly&quot; list or a &quot;selectee&quot; list of people who require additional screening at airports.. 
 
But Democratic aides said people credibly suspected of involvement in terrorism would not be covered by the weapons ban under Collins&#39; bill, and a Republican aide indicated it would not do enough to protect the constitutional rights of gun buyers. 
 
Even if the Senate approved a gun compromise, it would also have to be passed by the more conservative, Republican-majority House of Representatives. House Republican leadership aides did not comment on the possibility that any bills proposing gun restrictions would be considered on the House floor this week. 
 
On Monday, all four of the measures to expand background checks on gun buyers and curb gun sales to those on terrorism watch lists - two put forth by Democrats and two by Republicans - fell short of the 60 votes needed for passage in the 100-member chamber. 
 
Gun-control advocates expressed disappointment after the vote and vowed to take revenge on lawmakers at the ballot box in November. 
 
&quot;Shame on every single senator who voted against these life-saving amendments and protected the rights of terrorists and other dangerous people to buy guns,&quot; said Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. &quot;The Brady Campaign will expose these politicians for who they really are and call out their failure to disarm hate in America.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Republicans and their NRA allies said the Democratic bills were too restrictive, the Democrats said the Republican's bills were too weak

The US Senate on Monday rejected four measures restricting gun sales after last week's massacre in an Orlando nightclub, dealing a bitter setback to advocates who have failed to get even modest gun curbs through Congress despite repeated mass shootings. A group of senators was still hoping to forge a compromise for later in the week aimed at keeping firearms away from people on terrorism watch lists, although that effort faced an uphill battle with critics in both parties skeptical about its chances. Last week's massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, had intensified pressure on lawmakers, who moved swiftly to take the issue to the Senate floor. But the gun-control measures lost in largely party-line votes that showed the lingering political power in Congress of gun rights defenders and the National Rifle Association (NRA). Republicans and their allies in the NRA gun lobby said the Democratic bills were too restrictive and trampled on the constitutional right to bear arms. Democrats attacked the Republicans' two proposals as too weak and accused them of being in the thrall of the NRA. "What am I going to tell the community of Orlando?" asked Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida after the votes. "Sadly, what I’m going to tell them is the NRA won again." Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, attacked the Democrats' amendments and thanked Republicans for rejecting them. "Today, the American people witnessed an embarrassing display in the United States," he said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said the Democratic measures were ineffective and Republican senators "are pursuing real solutions that can help keep Americans safer from the threat of terrorism." As the parties remain largely locked in their positions, polls show Americans are increasingly in favor of more restrictions on guns in a country with more than 310 million weapons, about one for every citizen. The issue is already a prominent one for voters in November elections. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton supports new gun restrictions, while Republican Donald Trump expressed a willingness to talk to the NRA about the issue. After the votes, Clinton issued a one-word statement: "Enough." It was followed by the names and ages of the dead in Orlando. Gun control efforts failed after mass shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012 and a conference center in San Bernardino, California, in 2015. But some senators see resistance to gun restrictions softening as national security looms larger in the debate. The Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, pledged allegiance to the militant group Islamic State as he killed 49 people in a gay nightclub. "This country is under attack ... it's not a plane or an explosive device, it's an assault weapon," said Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat who led a 15-hour filibuster last week to draw attention to the effort to restrict guns. 'Shame on every single senator' Murphy walked off the floor after the Senate votes and embraced Erica Smegielski, the daughter of Dawn Hochsprung, a Sandy Hook principal killed during the Newtown shooting. "He said, the good thing about me and you is we’re young, we’ll be at this a long time," said Smegielski, 30. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week found that 71 per cent of Americans favor at least moderate regulations and restrictions on gun sales. That compared with 60 per cent in late 2013 and late 2014. Senior Senate aides left open the possibility of other votes later in the week on unspecified gun control proposals. Some Republicans pinned hopes on a proposal by Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, which was not one of the four bills being considered on Monday. Collins' plan would restrict gun purchases to a narrow group of suspects, including those on a "no-fly" list or a "selectee" list of people who require additional screening at airports.. But Democratic aides said people credibly suspected of involvement in terrorism would not be covered by the weapons ban under Collins' bill, and a Republican aide indicated it would not do enough to protect the constitutional rights of gun buyers. Even if the Senate approved a gun compromise, it would also have to be passed by the more conservative, Republican-majority House of Representatives. House Republican leadership aides did not comment on the possibility that any bills proposing gun restrictions would be considered on the House floor this week. On Monday, all four of the measures to expand background checks on gun buyers and curb gun sales to those on terrorism watch lists - two put forth by Democrats and two by Republicans - fell short of the 60 votes needed for passage in the 100-member chamber. Gun-control advocates expressed disappointment after the vote and vowed to take revenge on lawmakers at the ballot box in November. "Shame on every single senator who voted against these life-saving amendments and protected the rights of terrorists and other dangerous people to buy guns," said Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "The Brady Campaign will expose these politicians for who they really are and call out their failure to disarm hate in America." (Reuters)

US senate rejects gun control measures

The wife of the gunman who killed 49 people at an Orlando gay nightclub knew of his plans for the attack and could soon be charged in connection with the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, a law enforcement source said today. 
 
The source told Reuters that a federal grand jury had been convened and could charge Omar Mateen&#39;s wife, Noor Salman, by today. 
 
&quot;It appears she had some knowledge of what was going on,&quot;&nbsp;said US Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which received a briefing on the attack on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;She definitely is, I guess you would say, a person of interest right now and appears to be cooperating and can provide us with some important information,&quot; King told CNN. 
 
Mateen, who was shot dead by police after a three-hour standoff at the Pulse club early on Sunday, called 911 during his rampage to profess allegiance to various militant Islamist groups. 
 
Federal investigators have said he was likely self-radicalised and there was no evidence that he received any instruction or aid from outside groups such as Islamic State. Mateen, 29, was a US citizen, born in New York of Afghan immigrant parents. 
 
&quot;He appears to have been an angry, disturbed, unstable young man who became radicalised,&quot; President Barack Obama told reporters after a meeting of the White House National Security Council. 
 
During his rampage, Mateen systematically made his way through the packed club shooting people who were already down, apparently to ensure they were dead, said Angel Colon, a wounded survivor. 
 
&quot;I look over and he shoots the girl next to me and I was just there laying down and thinking: &#39;I&#39;m next, I&#39;m dead,&#39;&quot; he said. 
 
Mateen shot him twice more, one bullet apparently aimed for Colon&#39;s head striking his hand, and another hitting his hip, Colon said at Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he is one of 27 survivors being treated 
 
FoxNews.com, citing an FBI source, said prosecutors were seeking to charge Mateen&#39;s wife, Salman, as an accessory to 49 counts of murder and 53 counts of attempted murder and failure to notify law enforcement about the pending attack and lying to federal agents. 
 
NBC News said Salman told federal agents she tried to talk her husband out of carrying out the attack. But she also told the FBI she once drove him to the Pulse nightclub because he wanted to scope it out, the network said. 
 
A former wife of Mateen, who was a security guard, has said he was mentally unstable and beat her. The ex-spouse, Sitora Yusufiy, said she fled their home after four months of marriage. 
 
He also claimed solidarity with the ethnic Chechen brothers who carried out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and with a Palestinian-American who became a suicide bomber in Syria for al Qaeda offshoot the Nusra Front, authorities said. 
 
&quot;We could hear him talking to 911 saying that the reason why he&rsquo;s doing this is because he wants America to stop bombing his country. From that conversation from 911 he pledges allegiance to ISIS,&quot; said Patience Carter, 20, who was trapped in a bathroom stall at the nightclub as Mateen prowled outside. 
 
LUCKY TO BE ALIVE 
 
Carter, from Philadelphia, read a poem to the media that she said she wrote to help her heal. 
 
&quot;Looking at the blood and debris covered on everyone&#39;s faces. Looking at the gunman&#39;s feet under the stall as he paces. 
 
The guilt of feeling lucky to be alive is heavy,&quot; the poem read. 
 
One official said investigators believe Mateen browsed militant Islamist material on the internet for two years or more before the shootings. 
 
Soon after the attack, Mateen&#39;s father indicated that his son had harboured strong anti-gay feelings. He recounted an incident when his son became angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami while out with his wife and son. 
 
US officials were investigating media reports that Mateen may have been gay but not openly so, and questioning whether that could have driven his attack, according to two people who have been briefed regularly on the investigation and requested anonymity to discuss it. 
 
The owner of Pulse, speaking through a representative, denied reports that Mateen had been a regular patron of the nightclub. 
 
&quot;Untrue and totally ridiculous,&quot; Sara Brady, a spokeswoman for club owner Barbara Poma, said in an e-mail when asked about the claim. 
 
Mateen&#39;s father, Seddique Mateen, told reporters his son had never mentioned being homosexual. &quot;I don&#39;t believe he was a whatever you call it,&quot; he said. 
 
Mateen&#39;s name was listed on an unclassified federal database for nearly a year from 2013 to 2014 after he allegedly told co-workers of sympathies he had with militants overseas, three federal officials familiar with the investigation told Reuters. 
 
He was removed from that so-called selectee list after the Federal Bureau of Investigation completed an investigation and concluded he had no connections with known militant groups.&nbsp; 
(Reuters)

She reportedly tried to talk him out of this plan but apparently drove him to the nightclub because he wanted to recce the spot

The wife of the gunman who killed 49 people at an Orlando gay nightclub knew of his plans for the attack and could soon be charged in connection with the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, a law enforcement source said today. The source told Reuters that a federal grand jury had been convened and could charge Omar Mateen's wife, Noor Salman, by today. "It appears she had some knowledge of what was going on," said US Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which received a briefing on the attack on Tuesday. "She definitely is, I guess you would say, a person of interest right now and appears to be cooperating and can provide us with some important information," King told CNN. Mateen, who was shot dead by police after a three-hour standoff at the Pulse club early on Sunday, called 911 during his rampage to profess allegiance to various militant Islamist groups. Federal investigators have said he was likely self-radicalised and there was no evidence that he received any instruction or aid from outside groups such as Islamic State. Mateen, 29, was a US citizen, born in New York of Afghan immigrant parents. "He appears to have been an angry, disturbed, unstable young man who became radicalised," President Barack Obama told reporters after a meeting of the White House National Security Council. During his rampage, Mateen systematically made his way through the packed club shooting people who were already down, apparently to ensure they were dead, said Angel Colon, a wounded survivor. "I look over and he shoots the girl next to me and I was just there laying down and thinking: 'I'm next, I'm dead,'" he said. Mateen shot him twice more, one bullet apparently aimed for Colon's head striking his hand, and another hitting his hip, Colon said at Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he is one of 27 survivors being treated FoxNews.com, citing an FBI source, said prosecutors were seeking to charge Mateen's wife, Salman, as an accessory to 49 counts of murder and 53 counts of attempted murder and failure to notify law enforcement about the pending attack and lying to federal agents. NBC News said Salman told federal agents she tried to talk her husband out of carrying out the attack. But she also told the FBI she once drove him to the Pulse nightclub because he wanted to scope it out, the network said. A former wife of Mateen, who was a security guard, has said he was mentally unstable and beat her. The ex-spouse, Sitora Yusufiy, said she fled their home after four months of marriage. He also claimed solidarity with the ethnic Chechen brothers who carried out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and with a Palestinian-American who became a suicide bomber in Syria for al Qaeda offshoot the Nusra Front, authorities said. "We could hear him talking to 911 saying that the reason why he’s doing this is because he wants America to stop bombing his country. From that conversation from 911 he pledges allegiance to ISIS," said Patience Carter, 20, who was trapped in a bathroom stall at the nightclub as Mateen prowled outside. LUCKY TO BE ALIVE Carter, from Philadelphia, read a poem to the media that she said she wrote to help her heal. "Looking at the blood and debris covered on everyone's faces. Looking at the gunman's feet under the stall as he paces. The guilt of feeling lucky to be alive is heavy," the poem read. One official said investigators believe Mateen browsed militant Islamist material on the internet for two years or more before the shootings. Soon after the attack, Mateen's father indicated that his son had harboured strong anti-gay feelings. He recounted an incident when his son became angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami while out with his wife and son. US officials were investigating media reports that Mateen may have been gay but not openly so, and questioning whether that could have driven his attack, according to two people who have been briefed regularly on the investigation and requested anonymity to discuss it. The owner of Pulse, speaking through a representative, denied reports that Mateen had been a regular patron of the nightclub. "Untrue and totally ridiculous," Sara Brady, a spokeswoman for club owner Barbara Poma, said in an e-mail when asked about the claim. Mateen's father, Seddique Mateen, told reporters his son had never mentioned being homosexual. "I don't believe he was a whatever you call it," he said. Mateen's name was listed on an unclassified federal database for nearly a year from 2013 to 2014 after he allegedly told co-workers of sympathies he had with militants overseas, three federal officials familiar with the investigation told Reuters. He was removed from that so-called selectee list after the Federal Bureau of Investigation completed an investigation and concluded he had no connections with known militant groups. (Reuters)

Police: Orlando shooter's wife knew about attack, may be charged soon

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