Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were quick to react to an overnight shooting that killed an estimated 20 people in Orlando, Fla. overnight and is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism.
“Really bad shooting in Orlando. Police investigating possible terrorism. Many people dead and wounded,” the presumptive Republican nominee tweeted early Sunday morning.
Law enforcement authorities said the shooting took place around 2 a.m. Sunday morning at a gay nightclub in downtown Orlando. The gunman was armed with both a handgun and assault rifle in addition to another device that has yet to be identified.
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton declined to weigh in on the possible motives of the shooting, tweeting that she “woke up to hear the devastating news from [Florida].”
“As we wait for more information, my thoughts are with those affected by this horrific act,” Clinton said.
Clinton’s opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, called the shooting “horrific” and “unthinkable” during an appearance on NBC News.
“I believe that in this country, we should not be selling automatic weapons which are designed to kill people,” Sanders said. “We have got to do everything that we can on criminals, people who are mentally ill. So that struggle continues.”
FBI special agent Ron Hopper, who is in charge of the agency’s Orlando bureau, told CNN Sunday morning that officials have reason to believe the shooter “has leanings towards Islamic terrorism.”
