Obama describes Orlando attack as 'an act of terror and hate'

President Barack Obama has described the attacks at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando as ‘an act of terror and hate’. The attack has been branded as the worst mass shooting in modern American history after leaving 50 dead and 53 injured at the LGBT club. Addressing the nation following the attacks, Obama said that it was an ‘especially a heartbreaking day for all of our fellow Americans who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender’. The US president said that Pulse was ’more than a nightclub’, describing it as a ‘place of solidarity and empowerment where people come together to raise awareness, speak their minds and advocate for their civil rights’. 29 year-old Omar Mir Seddique Mateen, who had reportedly been investigated twice before by the FBI for suspected terrorist sympathies, has been named as the attacker and was shot dead by Police inside the club. ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attack, although the extent of the terrorist groups involvement is still unclear. Obama also took the opportunity to question America’s gun laws, as it appears that Mateen was able to purchase the .223-caliber assault rifle and 9mm semi-automatic pistol used in the attack quite lawfully a week before the attack.