Full scope of the shooting still unfolding. To a scene of Mass Violence here is the latest. Orlando police say approximately 20 people are dead and 42 are injured after a gunman walked into a popular gay nightclub called pulse. Some running from the scene and others held hostage inside. The gunman has not yet been identified, but we do know he is dead, killed by police. Investigators again, describing a hostage situation and thats when they moved in. Authorities say the gunman was armed with an assaultstyle rifle, a handgun and some sort of device on his person. The fbi saying this will be investigated as a domestic act of terror. We have this in orlando with nbcs sarah dallof. Reporter good morning. A tragic scene in downtown orlando where Authorities Say the shooter entered the nightclub and exchanged gun fire with a uniformed Orlando Police officer who was working in the club offduty. The shooter retreated back inside the club and that is when he took hostages. We were being contacted by people in the bathroom, nearby, at least 15 people that were in a separate area and our biggest concern was future loss of life. We wanted to save those people so we did an entry and exchanged gun fire with the suspect again after some explosive devices were used as well as our bear cat was used to get through the wall. Reporter the suspect was shot and killed. An Orlando Police officer also shot. However, Officials Say that his kevlar helmet did save his life. As this was all unfolding people in the nightclub who were able to escape were helping others and helping treat the wounded. We were across the street and you could still hear the boom, boom. It had to have been more than one person or two it was just too con tin wows. It was as if you were in a gun range and all you hear is just boom, bang, bang, and it was just i cant even describe it. It was i am, but it was really difficult to see in real life a horrible situation. Did people realize what was going on . No. I dont think people really knew what was going on until they saw people on the ground bleeding and heard people screaming because you dont know. When youre in a bar like that, you really think there are music and there are three different places and playing three different music and there are sounds on the patio, inside the main area and another area where they were dancing, the gogos. And three different types of music playing at the same time so you dont know whats what. Reporter 42 people were taken to area hospitals to be treated and this morning we are seeing survivors loaded on to city busses and taken to the Police Station to give statements. Meanwhile, Officials Say they do not believe there is any credible threat to the city of orlando this morning, but a lot of shock and a lot of sadness here, willie, back to you. Sarah, you are listening to the eyewitness account and pulse nightclub posting around 2 00 in the morning and local time in orlando on its facebook page, everyone, get out of pulse and keep running. What else did you hear . Youve been on the ground for several hours from people streaming out of the club, many of them running for their lives. Some contacted police and loved ones trapped inside bathrooms waiting for this to pass. Reporter and that is the most difficult part for people right now, the waiting. I met with one young man who had fled the nightclub, but hed been separated from his friend during his escape. He had been calling her repeatedly and not able to reach him and willie, he kept saying you dont understand, you dont understand, the bodies, the bodies. So people are trying to process what theyve seen. Theyre trying to track down their friends and loved ones inside the nightclub who they havent been able to get a hold of. Just a horrifying situation all around. Well let you get back to some of your reporting and by the way, youre looking at a live Helicopter Shot overhead. Approximately 20 people are dead. They dont have that number exact yet, but as much as they were willing to say, publicly, approximately 20 dead and 42 more victims transported to area hospitals. This happened at 2 00 in the morning when a man walked into the club with an assaultstyle rifle and a handgun when he was engaged by a Police Officer who was working security at the time and that exchange of gun fire turned into a threehour hostage situation at 5 00 local time Orlando Police said the decision was made to send in the s. W. A. T. Team and to engage the shooter at which time he was shot and killed. Lets go to jim cavanaugh, an nbc Law Enforcement expert. Jim, good morning. We heard in this press conference the sheriff saying this was being treated as an act of domestic terror, but then we have the fbi saying we look at this as terror in some form, but theyre not willing to go that far yet. As you listen to them speak about this crime, what did you hear . It looks like the motive might be domestic terrorist related, in other words, hate and targeting of a minority, the Lgbt Community. Maybe this was latin night, the Latin Community because this is an unusual target for an internationallyinspired actor late at night. We did have the bataclan in paris, willie, but that was an unusual situation there. This is not the typical target of internationallyinspired terrorists. When theyre saying its terrorism and turning it over to the fbi as the lead, they have some indicators that this was targeted for this particular club and he came with the Assault Rifle, as you described. Thats why we have so much carnage inside there because the velocity out of those rifles is awful and so you have 42 wounded and maybe 20 People Killed. If it wasnt for orlando p. D. Who bocked them up and keeping them static until s. W. A. T. Could get to him and with the explosive entry and the bear cat, it could have been even worse. We could have had lots, lots worse killing in here. This was a coordinated effort between state and local police that started at 2 00 in the morning in orlando, jim. What would have been the protocol there. It turned into a hostage situation and over the course of three hours they decided to at 5 00 in the morning to send in the s. W. A. T. Team. What was the decision to send in s. W. A. T. Its the on scene tactical commander, in this case it was s. W. A. T. And theyll make the decision reading the escalation and deescalation of the event and whether they can stay negotiating or theyve got to make a move, and the chief said they have to make a move to rescue people, 15 or 30 that were in a bathroom and they used explosive entry. They used a bear cat Armored Vehicle and they punched in there and engaged the subject when he came out in the hallway and s. W. A. T. Officers are well trained, great shots and they were able to take him out, but he wounded one of the orlando p. D. Officers and hit his helmet and maybe hit his eye slightly and they were able to stop the killing to make the entry at that time. We dont know the exact layout of the nightclub, jim, but you look at that space. 320 people in a relatively tight space, a shootout in there would have had huge ramifications and has this morning and the decision to engage him, pretty quick, i would imagine. Its hard to get to the killer before he pulls his trigger first. Its hard to get there before he does that, but orlando p. D. Had an officer in there working an extra job and he heard gunshots and by then he might have unloaded a magazine into the crowd and then there was a gun battle and then more shots. So, yeah, its an awful, awful case and tre will be a lot of heartache in orlando tonight. The suspect walked in, quote, prepared and well organized. Were getting new tape, jim. I want you to listen along with me of the sounds of gun fire early this morning in orlando. Lets listen. [ gun fire ] jim, we dont know exactly what time or at what stage of the operation that was, but obviously, automatic gun fire there. What did you hear . Thats a gun battle because you can hear the guns the rounds going each way. So thats the Police Engaging the suspect at some point in the event. Rounds going each way. So, jim, as we look at this now in the Bigger Picture where will the investigation go . Again, domestic terrorism is how its being investigate according to thor Sheriffs Office. The fbi saying theres no suggestion at this moment of a further threat to the city of orlando or to anyone else, but they will be looking at this as an act of terrorism first. How do they proceed with this investigation as we sit here this morning . Very large forensic footprint. Theyll go really slow through that scene, probably today, maybe a couple of days a very aggressive white collar investigation going on right now by the detectives and agents. Basic 101, you will get the guys wallet and cell phone and see who he is and why hes there and then you will get to his car at the scene and make sure he doesnt have bombs and explosives and youll get to his house and apartment and see whats there. Youll get on his computers and why did he do this and hell have it written down and his motives will be there and theyll be clear and theyre going to uncover that and then, of course, the thing is there anybody else planning it with him, helped him, encouraged him, facilitated with him or is planning yet another attack. Thats an important point. Police saying at this point, eyewitnesses gave no account of a second gunman. Thats according to eyewitness account. It was just the one suspect. Jim cavanaugh, stick around, im sure well be back to you. A recap, so far, approximately according to police 20 people dead at least 42 others injured. The gunman killed by police after taking dozens of hostages in a threehour standoff. Police were able to save, they say, as many as 30 hostages. Well have much good sunday morning to you. Starting off mild in most parts of the bay area. Still seeing lots and lots of sunshine. Temperatures this afternoon have come down just a little bit but it will still be comfortable in places like San Francisco. 87 for livermore. Redwood city up to 83 degrees and even oakland up to 78. Lots of sunshine and another chance for maybe some rain. Well talk about that as we go through the morning. Take on the unexpected with a car that could stop for you. Nissan safety shield technologies, available in the altima, sentra and maxima. I smbut ended up nowhere. A lot now i use this. The nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release Technology Helps prevent the urge to smoke all day. I want this time to be my last time. Thats why i choose nicoderm cq. How are you doing today . Thats how i am. American express presents the blue cash everyday card with cash back on purchases. My only concern is that this is where we put food. A dogs foot is cleaner than a humans mouth. Thats what they say. Is it . Cleaner than my mouth. Get cash back with american express. Cleaner than my mouth. 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We wanted to save those people so we did an entry and exchanged gunfire with the suspect again after some explosive devices were used as well as our bearcat was used to get through the wall. Lets bring in nbc analyst former fbi profiler, clint van zandt. Hes on the phone with us. Clint, good morning again. Lets talk about what we heard in that press conference from local police, the Sheriffs Office, federal authorities as well about the decision to go in with the s. W. A. T. Team. Again, a hostage situation that developed when a uniformed Orlando Police officer engaged the shooter who was armed and well prepared according to police. He had an assaultstyle rifle and a handgun but the hostage situation lasted three hours. As youve dealt with these situations before, clint, talk with me about the decision to send in s. W. A. T. As you know, willie, part of my background is as an fbi Hostage Negotiator and ive been involved in these decisions before, whether to go tactical, send in s. W. A. T. Obviously the first thing that Law Enforcement would rather do would be to get a Hostage Negotiator and talk the shooter out, get him or whatever we have to lay down their weapons and surrender. If at the same time youre doing or attempting to do negotiations and yet youre getting information from inside that there are shots still being fired, people still being injured, then Law Enforcement is moving toward that tactical resolution. But we dont have s. W. A. T. Teams on the scene all the time, even though im sure there were a number of patrol officers ready to go in. S. W. A. T. , thats their job, their fulltime job. So a decision was made to get s. W. A. T. On the scene, let them see what they have to deal with. The onscene commander made a decision between himself or herself, the s. W. A. T. Team, the negotiators, now is the critical time to do it. The best way, willie, is for a negotiator to be talking to the subject when you go through. As youve heard from the police, they used a bearcat, an Armored Vehicle, to burst through the wall. Part of the reason you go through the wall is because there is probably concern that the subject may have put a booby tr trap, on explosive device on the door and they didnt want to get Law Enforcement officers killed going through to get the hostages. So they go through the wall and use tactical diversion devices, called flash bangs, to make very loud noise, smoke, a flash, to get the subject to look the other way and then Law Enforcement engages him. Were told at least nine tactical officers entered, engaged the subject in a shootout. At that time he went down. But of course by that time were also told that 20 had been killed, 42 had been wounded over this approximately fourhour time period. And, clint, i would think this location presents some unique challenges to Law Enforcement. You have a nightclub that was crowded with police say about 320 people. Some of those had escaped during this hostage situation and before it. Dark, perhaps. A lot of nooks and crannies in a place like that. What were the specific challenges youd think as an fbi investigator here . Well, youve hit on a number of them. Number one, theres a high likelihood that the lights had been turned off inside. Number two, were told that there are multiple various size rooms, so its not like youre going into a big auditorium and its wide open. When the Tactical Team breached the wall and went in, they had to not only consider but probably by briefing know how many different little rooms there were, and then they had to individually go in each of those rooms. And, willie, if you can imagine those conditions. Its dark, now its perhaps smoky because of the diversionary devices that have gone off. Some of the doors are locked because hostages are wounded or simply hiding. The subject may have been in a main room, he may have been in a side room and officers had to go through every door and in every room with the full understanding they were going to engage someone with an Assault Rifle and a pistol. So it was a terrible situation for the people inside to go through, and obviously a very tough situation for Law Enforcement. They did what they had to do. But we saw this terrible loss of life and a number of wounded. One more time, we see these shootings across the United States where someone goes in heavily armed. In this situation, willie, with that type of weaponry and likely ammunition, were told this individual whos likely been identified by the fbi already is not from the local area, so that suggests some type of preplanning, pretargeting that went on to carry this out. Yeah, and again the police saying that this guy was prepared and well organized when he entered that nightclub. As the investigation goes forward here, clint, lets talk about how its been classified so far. The Sheriffs Office in that press conference saying its being