AUSTRALIAN Jewry has expressed its sadness and shock at the massacre carried out at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida that left 49 people dead and 53 injured.
The gunman Omar Mateen, 29, called 911 and pledged allegiance to ISIS during the attack. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the shooting.
Mateen shot at the patrons in the nightclub and held some hostage in a club bathroom as others ran for the doors. He was subsequently killed in a gun battle with police.
“The Australian Jewish community shares the pain caused by this unspeakable act,” Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Robert Goot and executive director Peter Wertheim said.
“We pray for the strength of the mourners and the souls of the murdered. We wish long life to the families of the victims. May their memories be a blessing.”
Read the full story by Evan Zlatkis in the Australian Jewish News.