UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemns Orlando shooting

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the “horrific” mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando that claimed at least 50 lives.

“The Secretary-General condemns the horrific attack this morning in Orlando, Florida, in which dozens of people were killed and injured,” a statement issued by Ban’s spokesperson said.

“He extends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and expresses his solidarity with the Government and people of the United States,” the statement said.

The suspect in the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the US has been identified as 29-year old Omar Mateen, a New York-born man of Afghan descent.

The casualties far exceeded those of the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech, where 32 people were killed, and the 2012 shooting at an elementary school in Newtown where 26 people died.

“In the face of hate and violence, we will love one another,” President Obama said in a special address from the White House. “We will not give in to fear or turn against each other. Instead, we will stand united as Americans to protect our people and defend our nation, and to take action against those who threaten us,” he said.