The police waited for nearly three hours, they said, to try to convince Mr. Mateen to surrender. As dozens of hostages fled through the approximately three-foot hole, the police said Mr. Mateen came out too, firing. Shots were exchanged in two separate bursts, but then Mr. Mateen retreated to the bathroom, where he connected with the police by phone. According to the authorities, the first police officers arrived on the scene not long after Mr. Mateen opened fire with an assault rifle and pistol. “Now, as soon as you have an active shooter, you move in, even if it’s just one or two officers.

Source: New York Times June 14, 2016 01:04 UTC