If the mass shootings at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando does turn out to be motivated by radical Islamic ideology against the gay community, it would be "frankly not surprising that they would target this community in this horrible way," Sen. Marco Rubio said Sunday.
"As of now, the indications are this is an individual that acted on their own," the Florida Republican and one-time GOP presidential candidate told CNN. "If you look at the nature of the attack, basically the use of the handgun to storm a nightclub and start shooting people, it doesn't take a tremendous amount of coordination. You don't need a phone call from Afghanistan or an e-mail from Syria to tell you to go do this."
The shooter has been identified as Omar Mateen, 29, a U.S. citizen born in Florida. His parents were reportedly from Afghanistan.
Further, said Rubio, "we have seen the way radical Islamists have treated the gay and lesbians in other countries. We've seen it's punishable by death. We've seen horrifying pronouncements of things they've done."
Meanwhile, the senator urged people in central Florida to donate blood for the Orlando victims, particularly donors with O-plus or O-negative blood types.
And in days to come, Rubio urged people who have information to report it, helping "lead us to know more about this animal who did this."
Meanwhile, said Rubio, "I think we have to continue to explain to people, this is the new face of the war on terror. They have said openly they intend to target us here...it's a reminder that the war on terror has evolved into something we've never had to confront before."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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