Omar Mateen said “praise be to God” and admitted he was behind the June 12 mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., according to partial transcripts of conversations between Mateen and authorities the FBI released Monday.
In the first early morning call, the shooter calls himself an Islamic soldier. Mateen later refuses to cooperate with hostage negotiators.
In the censored transcript, Mateen, who later died in a shootout with police, calls 911 at 2:35 a.m., after the shooting began, “This is the shooter … I did the shootings.”
Mateen also refuses to give his name, continually saying he has “pledge[d] allegiance” to a redacted name, presumably the Islamic State.
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Sunday that the printed transcripts would have Mateen’s propagandist words deliberately omitted. “What we’re not going to do is further proclaim this individual’s pledges of allegiance to terrorist groups and further his propaganda,” she said.
In a press conference Monday, FBI Agent Ron Hopper said Mateen described his actions on the phone to police in a “chilling, calm and dilberate matter.”
Hopper also stressed that the audio would not be released “out of respect for the victims.” Mateen, he said, was not directed by a foreign terror group but rather radicalized domestically.
The June 12 shooting left 49 dead and 53 others injured.
The following is based on Orlando Police Department (OPD) radio communication (times are approximate):
2:02 a.m.: OPD call transmitted multiple shots fired at Pulse nightclub.
2:04a.m.: Additional OPD officers arrived on scene.
2:08 a.m.: Officers from various law enforcement agencies made entrance to Pulse and engaged the shooter.
2:18 a.m.: OPD S.W.A.T. (Special Weapons & Tactics) initiated a full call-out.
2:35 a.m.: Shooter contacted a 911 operator from inside Pulse. The call lasted approximately 50 seconds, the details of which are set out below:
—
Orlando Police Dispatcher (OD)
Shooter (OM)
OD: Emergency 911, this is being recorded.
OM: In the name of God the Merciful, the beneficial [in Arabic]
OD: What?
OM: 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.
OD: What’s your name?
OM: My name is I pledge of allegiance to [omitted].
OD: Ok, What’s your name?
OM: I pledge allegiance to [omitted] may God protect him [in Arabic], on behalf of [omitted].
OD: Alright, where are you at?
OM: In Orlando.
OD: Where in Orlando?
[End of call.]
—
(Shortly thereafter, the shooter engaged in three conversations with OPD’s Crisis Negotiation Team.)
2:48 a.m.: First crisis negotiation call occurred lasting approximately nine minutes.
3:03 a.m.: Second crisis negotiation call occurred lasting approximately 16 minutes.
3:24 a.m.: Third crisis negotiation call occurred lasting approximately three minutes.
—
“In these calls, the shooter, who identified himself as an Islamic soldier, told the crisis negotiator that he was the person who pledged his allegiance to [omitted], and told the negotiator to tell America to stop bombing Syria and Iraq and that is why he was ‘out here right now,'” the FBI said.
“When the crisis negotiator asked the shooter what he had done, the shooter stated, ‘No, you already know what I did.’ The shooter continued, stating, ‘There is some vehicle outside that has some bombs, just to let you know. You people are gonna get it, and I’m gonna ignite it if they try to do anything stupid,'” the FBI added. “Later in the call with the crisis negotiator, the shooter stated that he had a vest, and further described it as the kind they ‘used in France.’ The shooter later stated, ‘In the next few days, you’re going to see more of this type of action going on.’ The shooter hung up and multiple attempts to get in touch with him were unsuccessful.”
The rest of the transcript and timeline describes the breaching of the hostage situation by authorities. At 5:15 a.m. the FBI reports that Orlando Police “engaged the suspect and the suspect was reported down.”
Orlando’s police chief at the press conference Monday described more of the night in detail. Orlando Police Chief John Mina said the released FBI timeline and transcript of the attack clearly shows the officers’ arrival to the scene. The incident at Pulse nightclub started as an active shooter situation, Mina said.
“There was never a concern that he was going to get away. We were going to take him into custody,” Mina said.
The officers’ initial arrival and entry into the club caused the Mateen to “retreat, stop shooting” and barricade himself in the bathroom with hostages. During that time, approximately three hours, officers were able to rescue some people in the club. Mateen then died in a shootout.
Mina stressed that the investigation is still ongoing, as officials have conducted over 500 interviews. The scene is nearly done being processed, Mina said, and more than 600 pieces of evidence were collected from the crime scene.
