Orlando Shooting Latest: Obama Visiting Orlando on Thursday

ORLANDO, Fla. — President Barack Obama will travel to Orlando on Thursday, paying his respects to the 49 killed in a gay nightclub.

Omar Mateen walked into the packed Pulse nightclub at closing time early Sunday, opening fire on dozens of people and holding hostages for hours before he was killed by police.

"On Thursday, the President will travel to Orlando, Fla., to Pay his respects to victims' families, and to stand in solidarity with the community as they embark on the recover," according to a statement from the White House.

On Monday, law enforcement provided more details in the shooting, which included 53 injured, some critically. The death toll had previously been referenced as "50 dead," and authorities clarified Monday morning that the number had included the suspect.

Officers spoke with Mateen, 29, three times after he barricaded himself with hostages in the nightclub after 2 a.m. Sunday. Officers eventually raided the club three hours later, saving hostages and killing Mateen in a shootout. 

Early reports noted that Mateen had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State during one of his calls. But FBI Director James Comey noted the suspect also expressed solidarity with the Boston Marathon bombers and and another suicide bomber. 

“The bombers at the Boston Marathon and the suicide bomber from Florida were not inspired by ISIL, which adds a little bit of confusion to his motives,” Comey said. “We’re spending a tremendous amount of time trying to understand every moment … to understand his motives.” 

The FBI director noted past investigations of Mateen did not produce clear indications of a threat. Comey encouraged Americans to “not let fear become disabling.” Like other law enforcement officials, he urged residents to say something if they see something.

There is no evidence the attack was coordinated with any terrorist organization, but investigators are working to determine if there are any other individuals linked to the shooting. 

“There is an investigation of others persons,” U.S. Attorney Lee Bentley said. “We don’t know if anyone else will be charged.”

See also:

• Orlando Shooter and Timeline: What We Know So Far
• FBI Director James Comey Won’t Say Orlando Shooter’s Name

By Monday evening, Orlando Police had released the names of all of the dead. Edward Sotomayor Jr., Stanley Almodovar III, Luis Omar Oscasio-Capo and Juan Ramon Guerrero were the first fatal victims identified.

Sotomayor, 34, was remembered as a kind and generous friend. "People reached out to him, they looked up to him, looked at him for guidance," said Jason Howell. "No matter how small or big the problem was, he would always try to find the answer."

A page at the Orlando municipal website includes the names of victims in cases where next of kin have been notified. The address is cityoforlando.net/victims.

"My son was a good kid," wrote Gertrude Merced. Her son, Enrique Rios, was identified among the victims. "He was just having a great time on his vacation, until this deranged man came in and shot the place up."

A fundraiser established by Equality Florida for victims of the shooting had reached more than $1.5 million by noon on Monday. It's one of the fasted growing campaigns in GoFundMe history. 

JetBlue is offering free flights for families of victims of the shooting. 

See Also:

• Rumors Of Multiple Shooters In Orlando Massacre Untrue: Cops
• Fundraiser For Orlando Mass Shooting Victims Tops $1 Million

The man who sold Mateen the guns — a handgun and an AR-type rifle — defended the sale on Monday.

"It's horrible but I don't make the laws. I abide by them," said Ed Henson at a press conference. "My heartfelt condolences for the family and victims and I can't imagine the horror they face. I did everything by the book. I'm not going to be made into a villain."

Nearly 24 hours after the attack, Mateen's father, Seddique Mir Mateen, released a video on Facebook that was taken down a few hours later. Before the video was removed from Facebook, The New York Times translated the elder Mateen's words of regret at the loss of his son.

“My son, Omar Mateen, was a very good boy, an educated boy, who had a child and a wife, very respectful of his parents,” he said in Dari, a language spoken in Afghanistan, according to the Times' translation. The elder Mateen had 8,000 Facebook followers when the video was released. The number had climbed to 9,496 by 8 a.m. Monday.

“I don’t know what caused this,” he said. “I did not know and did not understand that he has anger in his heart. Only God can punish homosexuality. This is not an issue for humans to punish.” 

The father told NBC News on Sunday that the shooting “has nothing to do with religion.” In an interview, he suggested his son had become enraged at seeing a gay couple kissing during a recent trip to Miami.

See Also:

• Orlando Shooter’s Dad Laments Son's Death
• Orlando Shooting: Tips to Avoid Donation Scams

Flags across the nation will remain at half-staff through Thursday. 

Vigils to honor the victims and blood drives in support of the survivors are being held across the country, including events coordinated together by Muslim and LGBT community leaders.

“We will not let hatred and terror to divide our society and the families that lost their loved ones,” said Muslim Democratic Club of Montgomery County (Md.) President Hamza Khan. "You have our regrets and condolences, but more importantly our support and solidarity. Together, we are one greater community."

At an Atlanta vigil Sunday night, a crowd of hundreds sang the "Star-Spangled Banner." The song was penned when,  after a relentless night of bombardment in 1814, the American flag stood resilient in the light of day.

In the political ring, the mass shooting in Orlando has opened wounds that have barely closed since the last tragedy. Again, Democrats are calling for new gun control measures, while facing a wall of opposition from conservative politicians. In the spotlight: the two party's likely presidential candidates.

Democrat Hillary Clinton stuck to her campaign's "greater together" theme while strengthening her language about who and what the country's up against.

"The murder of innocent people always breaks our hearts, scares us, and makes us furious. Now we have to steel our resolve and respond. That's what I want to talk about — how we respond," she told a crowd in Cleveland. "I have no doubt, I have no doubt, we can meet this challenge if we meet it together."

Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump resurrected a divisive proposal from early in his campaign: enact a ban on Muslims entering the country.

"Although the pause [in immigration] is temporary, we must find out what is going on. We have to do it," Trump said in a New Hampshire appearance just over an hour after Clinton's speech. "We need to tell the truth also about how radical Islam is coming to our shores - and it's coming. With these people, folks, it's coming."

Photo by Al Francis — Thousands of people from throughout the Bay Area gathered in San Francisco Sunday night in a peaceful show of solidarity with the victims of the Orlando massacre.