Other individuals who may have had a hand in the deadly Orlando terrorist attack are being investigated, U.S. District Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Lee Bentley III said Monday.
“There is an ongoing criminal investigation,” Bentley said during a press conference Monday morning, regarding the attack at Pulse nightclub in Orlando that killed 49 people and injured at least 53 early Sunday morning.
The investigation is still “in the early stages,” Bentley said, adding that it is still unknown “whether anyone else will be charged in connection with this crime.” Bentley said there is “no reason to believe” anyone connected to the attack poses an “imminent danger to the public.”
The gunman, Omar Mateen, was killed during a shootout with police after officers stormed the nightclub around 5 a.m. Sunday, becoming the 50th casualty.
“[There] is an investigation of other persons. We’re working as diligently as we can on that. We have teams of prosecutors, as well as teams of agents working around the clock, getting search warrants, getting court orders. If anyone else was involved in this crime, they will be prosecuted,” Bentley added.
Roughly 100 leads have emerged since the attack, authorities said.
According to Trevor Velinor, assistant special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Tampa Field Office, Mateen was an American citizen living in Florida and bought the guns used in the attack legally just days ago.
Mateen was armed with an assault-style weapon and a pistol. Authorities also found a third weapon in his car, they said Monday.
Orlando Police Chief John Mina explained in the early morning press conference what Mateen’s encounter with police was like. After Mateen had a shootout with police, he holed up in a bathroom with hostages inside the club.
According to Mina, Mateen was “cool and calm” in a phone call with police negotiators.
“He really wasn’t asking for a whole lot,” Mina explained. “We were doing most of the asking.”
Mateen talked about “bombs and explosives,” as well as a reference to the Islamic State and his wearing of a vest, Mina said.
After information from the shooter and hostages inside the club was gathered, authorities made a decision for SWAT to breach a wall and enter the club, as “loss of life was imminent.”
negotiators were in contact w/suspect who talked about bombs said he was wearing a vest pic.twitter.com/3iOA52DdA6
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 13, 2016
At some point the suspect came out with two handguns and shot at officers, they returned fire and killed the suspect pic.twitter.com/5A7MxoehKa
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 13, 2016
OPD made decision to commence rescue bc further loss of life was imminent pic.twitter.com/LDj8g7AFeH
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 13, 2016
Mateen then died in a shootout with nearly a dozen officers.
On Monday, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer commended the first responders who saved “many, many lives” that could have otherwise been lost in the attack.
“This is probably the most difficult day in the history of Orlando,” Dyer said.
According to Dyer, 48 of the 49 victims had been identified and 24 next of kin had been contacted.
“We will not be defined by the act of a cowardly hater,” he said. “We will be defined by how we respond.”
Sunday’s attack was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history and the deadliest terrorist attack since Sept. 11, 2001.
