'I'm in Orlando and I did the shootings': Partial transcript of Omar Mateen 911 calls released
Partial transcripts of phone conversations between the man who killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida and an emergency dispatcher on 12 June have been released by authorities. Assistant special agent in charge of the FBI in Orlando, Ron Hopper, said that Omar Mateen spoke in a "chilling, calm, deliberate manner".
Audio of the calls has not been released. Authorities said they will not release calls between victims and dispatchers to respect the victims and their families.
According to the Associated Press, Mateen told one operator "I'm in Orlando and I did the shootings". Mateen identified himself as an 'Islamic soldier' during the calls and claimed support for militant Islamist groups during the attack.
The FBI said that there was no evidence Mateen had been directed by a foreign group. The release was the partial transcript of three calls Mateen had made with 911 dispatchers during the attack.
Mateen shot and killed 49 people after entering Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in the early hours of the morning on 12 June. He was then shot by police. Mateen claimed to have explosives in a vehicle outside the club, telling a dispatcher: "You people are gonna get it, and I'm gonna ignite it if they try to do anything stupid." However, authorities said they found no evidence of this.
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