Hero cops haunted by mobile phones ringing in Orlando victims’ pockets as families tried to make contact with loved ones
The killer was shot dead just before 6am and the team's actions "most likely saved many lives"
HERO cops investigating the Orlando nightclub mass-shooting are haunted by the sound of mobile phones ringing in victims' pockets.
Shooting investigators have tried to "tune out" the sound of phones ringing from bodies strewn across the dancefloor at Pulse gay club, as loved ones desperately tried to make contact.
Shocking footage from the scene shows the moment officers stormed the club, where a number of revellers were being held hostage.
A succession of gun shots can be heard in the footage, taken by a witness from a rooftop opposite the club.
Experts praised Orlando police for their swift actions, which they say “most likely saved many lives.”
Orlando Police Chief John Mina said in future the police would continue to use “extreme measures.”
The gunman opened fire on the dance floor inside Pulse nightclub, Orlando, at around 2am, leaving about 50 people dead and 53 others wounded.
The SWAT team made the decision to rescue the hostages around 5am, according to officials.
They used a “controlled explosion” to distract the shooter before killing him.
They were also able to rescue about 30 hostages who were hiding in the bathroom of the club.
The gunman was armed with an assault rifle, handgun and “some kind of device on him."
During the shoot-out a bullet struck an officer’s Kevlar helmet, which Police Chief John Mina believes saved his life.
The footage was captured by bystander Nic Hornstein from a rooftop across the road from the club.
The mass-killer was shot dead just before 6am according to police, who described it as a “mass casualty situation.”
Mayor Buddy Dyer said in a press conference: “Many were saved by the heroic efforts of the men and women of the OPD, the Orange County Sheriffs, Seminal County Sheriff’s office.”
There were about 320 people inside the club at the time of the shootings, officials said.
Jon Alamo said he was inside the club, which was hosting a Latin-themed night, when a man holding a weapon entered.
He said: “I heard 20, 40, 50 shots. The music stopped.”
Club-goer Rob Rick said it happened around 2am, just before closing time.
An FBI spokesperson said the mass shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism.
The suspect, Omar Mateen, 29, was an American citizen from Port St. Lucie in Florida whose parents are from Afghanistan.
Authorities are determining whether it was an act of domestic or international terror, and whether the shooter was a lone wolf.
The killings took place less than four miles from where The Voice singer and YouTube star Christina Grimmie, 22, was shot dead at The Plaza Live in Orlando on Friday.
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