June 12, 2016 (2016-06-12) (Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
International relations
Law and crime
- Orlando nightclub shooting
- In what is the deadliest mass shooting and the worst terror attack since 9/11 to occur in the United States, a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in the U.S. city of Orlando, Florida, kills at least 50 people, including the shooter, and injures 53. (BBC) (CNN) (Australian Broadcasting Co.)
- ISIL's Amaq News Agency claims that the assault, "... was carried out by an Islamic State fighter". (Reuters) (CBS New York)
- The FBI identifies the deceased gunman as Omar Mir Seddique Mateen, a 29-year-old American citizen born in New York to Afghani parents, and living in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Mateen called 9-1-1 during the attack and pledged allegiance to ISIL. (CBS New York)
- Mateen's father, Seddique Mir Mateen, says, "We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident. This had nothing to do with religion." Seddique says that during a recent outing in Miami, his son got very angry when he saw men kissing and touching each other. According to the elder Mateen, Omar said, "Look at that. In front of my son they are doing that." (NBC News)
- The City of Orlando requests, via Twitter, citizens, "... hold off on vigils — they represent a serious strain on our limited resources, which we need to dedicate to law enforcement and victims." (The New York Times)
- The scheduled L.A. Pride parade is held in West Hollywood Park in California. A 20-year-old man, whose car was filled with explosive materials and weapons, is arrested before he reached the parade area. He is misquoted as saying he wanted to harm people at the event. (Los Angeles Daily News)
- An explosion at Shanghai Pudong International Airport injures at least three people; the explosive appears to be homemade. (AP via The Guardian)
- Lawyers for former President of Chad Hissène Habré, who was recently found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison, appeal the verdict. However, a tribunal spokesman said the appeal process is not expected to be done before April 2017. (Al Jazeera)
Sports