Orlando Shooting Latest: Record-Breaking Donations, Dire Warnings

Orlando, FL — Less than a week after a terrorist attack in a crowded Orlando gay nightclub, the outpouring of support for victims and their families has reached record-breaking status.

Equality Florida, the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, has raised more than $5.1 million since it launched a GoFundMe campaign in the hours after the June 12 attack. That total is the largest in the crowdfunding platform’s history, according to several media sources.

On the heels of its fundraising success, Equality Florida has upped its goal to $7 million.

See also:

• Fundraiser For Orlando Shooting Victims Tops $3 Million
• Florida Activates Disaster Fund To Help Orlando Terror Victims
• Disney Donates $1 Million To OneOrlando Fund

The OneOrlando Fund, kicked off by Mayor Buddy Dyer to “provide a way to help respond to the needs of our community, now and in the time to come, after the effects of the Pulse tragedy,” has topped $7 million in donations.

The city is reportedly working out the details on how to distribute money to victims and families.

Meanwhile, the Florida Disaster Fund, activated in the wake of the tragedy, has also received heavy support. A total of donations raised to date is not available, but the state announced a $10,000 donation from the Magellan Cares Foundation Wednesday.

“I am proud to see so many organizations and individuals give to the Florida Disaster Fund, even though they may never directly know the people who will receive the important services and support this funding will provide,” Gov. Rick Scott said after the donation. “Every dollar given will help make a difference during this incredibly difficult time, and I am so thankful to everyone working together to support the Orlando community.”

The outpouring of support comes as investigators continue to look into Omar Mateen’s past and his motivations for going to the Pulse Orlando Night Club & Ultra Bar early Sunday morning. Mateen began firing into the crowded club around 2 a.m., killing 49 people and wounding 53 others before he was shot and killed by police.

Some are questioning why warnings about Mateen’s radicalized leanings appear to have fallen on deaf ears. The FBI investigated Mateen twice in the past but closed both investigations after determining they were inconclusive.

Lotus Gunworks’ owner, Robert Abell, has also come forward to say his employees contacted the FBI several weeks prior to the attack because Mateen visited the Jensen Beach store trying to buy body armor and large amounts of ammunition, several media outlets have reported.

The FBI has yet to comment.

Sunday's attack has been classified as a terrorist act by federal authorities.

President Barack Obama met with victims’ families in Orlando on Thursday.

"Today, once again, as has been true too many times before, I held and hugged grieving family members and parents and they asked, 'Why does keep happening?' And they pleaded that we do more to stop the carnage," the president said Thursday afternoon. "They don't care about the politics. Neither do I."

Mateen was carrying a handgun and an assault rifle he’d purchased legally just days before the shooting.

The Senate is expected to vote on four different gun control measures Monday after a 15-hour filibuster earlier this week. The measures address the sale of guns and explosives to people on terrorist watch lists and background checks for gun buyers.

Photo courtesy of the City of Orlando Facebook page