Transcripts of phone calls made to emergency services on the night of the Pulse massacre by the gunman have been released by the FBI.
Partial transcripts have been released by the FBI of the calls made to the emergency services by the gunman who killed 49 people at a gay night club in Orlando.
Omar Matten allegedly made a number of calls during the siege which began around 2:00AM and lasted 3 hours. The first call made to the emergency services was 30 minutes after the first shots were fired.
The first call (see below) lasted about 50 seconds.
Police: Emergency 911, this is being recorded.
Mateen; In the name of God the Merciful, the beneficial [in Arabic]
Police: What?
Mateen: Praise be to God, and prayers as well as peace be upon the prophet of God [in Arabic]. I let you know, I’m in Orlando and I did the shootings.
Police: What’s your name?
Mateen: My name is I pledge of allegiance to [omitted].
Police: Ok, What’s your name?
Mateen: I pledge allegiance to [omitted] may God protect him [in Arabic], on behalf of [omitted].
Police: Alright, where are you at?
Mateen: In Orlando.
Police: Where in Orlando?
[End of call].
During the evening Mateen spoke to Orlando’s Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) three times first at 2:48Am, then at 3:03AM and then at 3:24AM – the transcripts for these communications have not been released in full.
However it is during these conversation the shooter reportedly identified himself as an Islamic soldier and that America should stop bombing Syria and Iraq.
He also warned that he had explosive vests – the kind used by the terrorists “in France”. No vests were found.
The FBI issued a statement in which it said out of respect for the victims of the shooting that it would not release transcripts of communications with victims of the assault.
“Out of respect for the victims of this horrific tragedy, law enforcement will not be releasing audio of the shooter’s 911 calls at this time, nor will law enforcement be releasing audio or transcripts of the calls made by victims at the Pulse nightclub during the incident.”
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