Transcript: Orlando Shooter's Call With Police Dispatcher
Authorities released the transcript today.
-- This morning the FBI released portions of conversations between Orlando shooter Omar Mateen and police during the deadly assault at Pulse nightclub last week, highlighting the threats he made before police decided to break through a wall at the club. Below is the transcript of one conversation.
Orlando Police Dispatcher (OD): Emergency 911, this is being recorded.
Shooter (OM): In the name of God the merciful, the beneficent [in Arabic] —
OD: What?
OM: Praise be to God, and prayers as well as peace be upon the prophet of God [Arabic]. I wanna let you know, I’m in Orlando and I did the shootings.
OD: What’s your name?
OM: My name is I pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of the Islamic State.
OD: Ok, What’s your name?
OM: I pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi may God protect him [Arabic], on behalf of the Islamic State.
OD: Alright, where are you at?
OM: In Orlando.
OD: Where in Orlando?
[End of call.]
Editors Note: This post was updated after the Department of Justice re-issued the transcript with references made to the Islamic State and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Department of Justice said, in explaining their decision, “unfortunately, the unreleased portions of the transcript that named the terrorist organizations and leaders have caused an unnecessary distraction from the hard work that the FBI and our law enforcement partners have been doing to investigate this heinous crime.”
Editor's Note 2: A previous version of the story, based on a transcript released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, contained the word “beneficial” in the first exchange listed above. A re-issued transcript released later in the day by the Department of Justice contained the word “beneficent.”