Officers fired 172 shots during final engagement with Pulse gunman

49 slain at Orlando nightclub in June 2016

ORLANDO, Fla. – Law enforcement officers fired 172 shots during their final engagement with the Pulse gunman, who killed 49 people inside the Orlando nightclub during the June 2016 massacre, according to the state attorney's office.

During a news conference detailing the shooting, the 13 officers, 10 with the Orlando Police Department and three with the Orange County Sheriff's Office, shot and killed Omar Mateen, but did not injure any civilians with friendly fire, Assistant State Attorney Deborah Barra said.

"We know based on evidence they only hit the shooter. They did not hit civilians at that time," Barra said.

Mateen was shot seven times, including at least once in the head, officials said.

In total, 14 law enforcement officers fired more than 180 shots during five engagements with Mateen, said Barra, who detailed the mass shooting after a six-month review of the evidence.

[RELATED: Pulse first-responders to receive mental health training | Timeline: Orlando Fire Department response to Pulse attack]

"As our city grieves the senseless tragedy of the Pulse nightclub shooting, I hope sharing the results of this investigation help the survivors and loved ones find some closure," State Attorney Aramis Ayala said. "With every investigation, my goal is to seek the truth and maintain transparent and open communication with the communities I serve with all of those impacted."

File: READ -- FDLE Use of Force Report into Pulse shooting

 

All of the law enforcement officers involved in the shooting have received clearance letters from Ayala.

WATCH LIVE: Findings of FBI investigation into Pulse nightclub attack could be released

WATCH LIVE: Findings of FBI investigation into Pulse nightclub attack could be released. https://bit.ly/2TIBTGB

Posted by News 6 WKMG / ClickOrlando on Wednesday, February 13, 2019

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About the Author

Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009. When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com, Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby.

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