tonight, a special edition of "world news tonight." night club massacre, terror in orlando. the worst mass shooting in american history. at least 50 killed. dozens more wounded. the gunman firing at will. hostages held in inside. >> oh, my god. >> the s.w.a.t. team in a three-hour standoff. >> we haven't been able to call him or text him. >> the mother in anguish, waiting to hear if her son is still inside. >> breaking details own the shooter. calling 911, pledging allegiance to isis. we're learning he bought his guns legally this

and we ask, how many lone wolves is the fbi tracking? our entire team is on this. a special edition of "world news tonight." good evening, as we come on the air, america, this entire country still reeling after the worst shooting in american history. a massacre at a gay night club in orlando overnight, waged by a lone gunman, that we learned called 911 to pledge allegiance to isis. some of the shootout captured by an eyewitness. we learned the gunman is omar mateen, an american born in new york. and we now kn,

the fbi. and mere in orlando, hundreds of people lining up to donate their own blood. we have team coverage here on the ground in orlando. we begin tonight with abc's gio benitez. >> reporter: three hours of terror overnight. multiple shootouts, hostages, a packed night club under siege. authorities say omar mateen arrived at pulse in orlando, armed with an ar-15, a handgun, and ammunition. by the time it was all over, at least 50 dead, even more injured tonight. the first signs of trouble, just after 2 a.m. officers responding to gunfire. at one point, mateen goes inside, and then runs back inside to open fire agn.

i didn't know if it was mine or somebody else's. >> they just started shooting, shooting. >> reporter: dozens now hostages, some huddled in the bathroom. texting loved ones. mommy, i love you, writes her son. i'm trapped in the bathroom. >> he was going to die, and he loved me. that's the last thing i heard. >> reporter: authorities sending armored vehicles, and s.w.a.t. teams to the scene. then deciding it was time to make their move. just after 5:00 a.m., s.w.a.t. officers break through the wall of the club,

>> from there, we exchanged gunfire with the suspect, and he was dead at the scene. we rescued about 30 people. >> reporter: and the damaged helmet of an officer here. some dead on the street, others carried away. worried relatives rushing to the club. >> my son hasn't been heard from. so, i don't know if he was left in the club, if he got shot, or if he's being worked on here. i don't know. it's terrible. he's my only child. >> reporter: as day breaks, authorities combing through the massive crime scene. >> it's going to take some time. >> reporter: tonight, that mother still searching for her son. pleading for tolerance. >> when he was in high school, he started the gay/straight alliance. i've been so proud of him

please, let's all get along. we're on this earth for such a short time. let's try to get rid of the hatred and the violence. please. >> just impossible to imagine what played out here overnight. it's still very much an active crime screen. you can see the sign for the night club, it says pulse. gio, what are investigators working on. >> they're still in the club, trying to identify people. there are families, boyfriends, girlfriends, with so many questions tonight. >> and law enforcement said you could read it on the officers' faces when they came out. >> absolutely. it's pure horror. >> gio, thanks so much. as we're on the air, we're learning more about the man

mateen. he was born in new york, and known to the fbi. and in the middle of the a massacre, he called 911 to pledge allegiance to isis. here's brian ross. >> reporter: 29-year old omar mateen was well known to the fbi counterterrorism squad. he was interviewed by the fbi three times over the last three years after he allegedly told co-workers he had ties to known terrorists. >> we determined that contact was minimal and did not constitute a substantive relationship or a threat at that time. >> reporter: there were no criminal charges, and nothing on his record to block his purchase of the two guns he used in the shooting, bought just last week. >> so he can legally walk into a facility and purchase firearms. >> reporter: federal authorities say as mateen was holed up in the orlando nightclub, he called 911. >> pledged his

baghdadi, the leader of isis. >> reporter: late today, the isis propaganda new agency claimed that mateen was "an islamic state fighter" although there was no indication the attack was planned by isis. >> this is likely to be someone that was self radicalized on the internet and decided the target on his own. >> reporter: he has a 3-year-old son with his current wife and his ex-wife says he regularly beat her. linsey janis is in his hometown of ft. pierce. >> they are looking for phones, computers, anything that might provide clues. >> reporter: the fbi is also looking closely at mateen's parents, immigrants from afghanistan. this is his father in a rambling diatribe posted on youtube about the afghanistan border. his father said today he was shocked at the actions of omar. telling reporters his son may have become upset earlier this

month when he saw two men kissing. >> brian ross is with us now tonight. we're learning more from the family of the gunman. the father is actually speaking out? >> reporter: he's saying he's shocked like the rest of the count country. he had no idea of his plans at all. the fbi is still investigating. >> thank you. we want to take you inside the pulse night club. a witness describing what he saw as this all unfolded. >> as i'm getting ready to cash out, out of nowhere, i hear -- it was like an automatic gun. i automatically dropped to the floor, and we heard a second time -- and that's when it started hitting home, this was actually happening. so, i tried to pull everybody

down, and people started to smell the ammunition burning. that's when it hit home to everybody, and they realized this was actually happening. people are screaming, crawling on the floor, people started running toward the floor. it was complete mayhem, everybody was so nervous, and we wanted to get out. people are getting trampled, we were trying to push everybody out the door. i looked around, and people were covered in blood, people screaming, crawling on the floor. it was like a scene out of a horror movie. i was covered in blood, i had lost my shoes. i said, this is not how i die. not today. >> meantime, outside the hospital in orlando, the names of the first victims are now being revealed. all day long, outside the

family and friends hoping their loved ones are being treated inside. here's lauren lyster. >> reporter: sons, daughters, fathers, boyfriends. juan guerrero, confirmed dead. >> the last text said, i got shot. i'm bleeding out. i think i'm dying, i love you guys, tell mom, dad, everyone, i love you. >> reporter: and dozens more injured, like the bartender. josh mcgill stopped to help him. >> he was like, i think i got shot. i took my shirt, said i have to stop the bleeding. i tied it around his arm

shirt. >> reporter: and this woman, leaving pulse just minutes before the gunman opened fire says she's now missing more than a dozen friends. >> it's too many, too many people. >> reporter: and this hospital, just down the street from the night club, is where so many of the injured were rushed. 43 being treated tonight, and they're working on reuniting them with their families. >> thank you. police across the country on heightened alert tonight. presence at the annual pride parade in los angeles, where they're keeping a close watch. federal authorities are struggling at this hour to track hundreds of people across america, with possible ties to isis. the question now, how did this person slip through the

tonight facing some serious questions. >> we have put all the police forces on high alert. there will be extra deployment at places of mass gatherings like this parade. >> reporter: security stepped up on bridges, tunnel and at the world trade center. this as the fbi is scrambling to check for any missed leads relating to mateen in an all-out security review. the fbi was already under incredible pressure, tracking as many as 800 isis sympathizers in all 50 states. >> it is a resource and prioritization issue. trying to determine which ones require the attention of the agents. >> reporter: today another scare, santa monica police arresting a man after finding three rifles and explosive

of the gay pride parade. police adding extra officers along the parade route. our matt gutman was there. >> reporter: despite that arrest -- there are many under kafr officers you don't see. >> reporter: the motive unclear but police say there appears to be no ties to the orlando massacre. >> as americans, we will not shrink away, we will not be in our homes, we will not go back into closets. >> pierre thomas, with us live. and we know the gunman was interviewed by the fbi more than once. what are they most concerned with at this moment? [ inaudible ] >> reporter: deep worry there's a gaping hole in the nation's security system.

david? >> president obama addressing the nation. as you know, he's now addressed the nation more than a dozen times after mass shootings in the country since taking office. he's lowered flags to hal half-staff, and called it an act of terror, and an act of hate. >> a further reminder, how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon to shoot up a school, theater, or night club. we have to decide if that's the find of nation we want to be. >> let's get to jonathan karl. we talked about this so many times on the broadcast, you can almost hear the frustration in the president's voice, the number of times he's had to

address america after a mass shooting. >> reporter: yes, this is the 15th time. he was very careful, though, not to tie the shooter in orlando to isis or any other international terrorist group. he said, we don't know the precise motivation here. but given the mounting evidence, the 911 call, the fact that this shooter had been interviewed not once, not twice, but three times by the fbi on suspicion of sympathies to terrorism, there will be more questions ahead. >> and we've learned the call to 911, pledging allegiance to isis. jon, thanks so much. there's still much more ahead on this special edition of "world news tonight" this sunday. coming up, how the presidential candidates

donald trump with one message, hillary clinton with an entirely different one. tonight, america getting a look at how the candidates would handle a situation like this. >> and scenes across america like this, as the nation now mourns. we'll be right back. learned the horn from my dad and played gigs from new york to miami. but i couldn't bear my diabetic nerve pain any longer. so i talked to my doctor and he prescribed lyrica. nerve damage from diabetes causes diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is fda approved to treat this pain, from moderate to even severe diabetic nerve pain. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or blurry vision. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery

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next tonight here on the broadcast, the mass shooting parking quick reaction from the presidential candidates, choosing their words carefully, in written statements and on twitter. how did donald trump and hillary clinton respond? here's tom llamas. >> reporter: in the wake of the worst mass shooting in american history, donald trump tweeted he's praying for the victims and their families. but then this, appreciate the congrats, but i want toughness and vigilance. we must be smart. that tweet setting off a fire storm. megan mccain, saying

congratulating yourself? but trump wasn't done. later, if hillary clinton still can't say the words radical islam, she should get out of the race for the presidency. >> refuses to even say the words radical islam. this alone makes her unfit to be president. >> reporter: was his words a sharp contrast with clinton's. who said, we need to redouble our efforts to defend the country, and keep guns like the ones last night out of the hands of criminals. trump has changed the focus of his speech tomorrow to bill and hillary clinton and the terrorist threat. >> tom

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a tornado destroying several homes. in the heartland, heavy rain and flash flooding forcing rescues like this one. temperatures topping 90s from texas to thecarolinas. when we come back here tonight, the heroes, the wounded that carried the victims to safety in the early morning hours. we'll be right back. and clearer skin. this is my body of proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the number #1 prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis.

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friends. tonight, the heroes who stayed behind to help the victims in the aftermath of the horrific nightclub massacre. as the scene unfolded, a parade of the wounded. those well enough to walk, carrying those who could not. those who were hit by the gunfire. >> so i was helping him, holding his hand, telling him he was going to be okay. it's going to be okay. >> reporter: taking the t-shirts off their backs. using them as tourniquets. as the word spread devastated friends and family gathering at the scene. at the hospitals, too. desperate to help hundreds of people. flocked to donate blood, water, food. standing in long lines that stretched for hours quietly waiting to offer help, and hope to the victims still fighting for their lives. we thank you for watching here on a sunday night. much more of our reporting from the ground tonight at

>> who enough to say this was act of terror and eight. -- of hate. >> her son has not been heard from, so i do not know if he was in the club, or if he was shot. >> this is the new face of the war on terror. most important thing we can do right now is pray for everybody. from abc 7 news, this is a breaking news alert. kimberly: terror in orlando. 50 people killed, 50 more injured.