Police release harrowing pictures from inside Orlando nightclub where terrorist massacred 49 people

The aftermath from America's worst mass shooting has been laid bare in these shocking pictures

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Rachel Bishop

Mick Gadd

23:03, 17 JAN 2017
Updated23:09, 17 JAN 2017

Police have released harrowing crime scene pictures from inside the Orlando nightclub where 49 people were shot dead.

Photos show the horrifying aftermath from the massacre at Pulse nightclub where ISIS gunman Omar Mateen opened fire on dozens of clubbers.

The pictures were released by the City of Orlando the day after Mateen's wife Noor Salman was sensationally arrested by the FBI in connection to the killings.

The shooting on June 12 was the worst mass shooting in American history - and at the time blamed on Islamic State terrorism.

The FBI has since classed as both a terrorist attack and a hate crime.

Blood is smeared across the floor (Image: City Of Orlando Records)

The City Of Orlando released photos of the gun used in the attack (Image: City Of Orlando Records)

Bottles sit on the bar after the attack (Image: City Of Orlando Records)

Photos show the gun used in the shooting and gruesome pictures of blood smeared across the floor and up the bar.

Huge chunks out of the walls of the club were also seen and furniture from the club was shown strewn throughout the venue of the Florida venue.

There have been unsubstantiated rumours for some time that Salman had been more involved than she was letting on.

According to CBS News there were evening reports she had gone ammo shopping with Mateen sometime before the shooting.

FBI agents investigate near the damaged rear wall of the Pulse Nightclub (Image: Getty)

Police have released the harrowing crime scene pictures under the Public Records Act (Image: City Of Orlando Records)

50 people died in the shooting after Omar Mateen opened fire before he was shot dead by police (Image: City Of Orlando Records)

Salman - who was interviewed for hours after the attack - is believed to have previously insisted to FBI investigators she had tried to stop Mateen carrying out the attack.

The New York Times reports that they "came to believe" she was not telling them the whole truth about her husband’s plans to carry out the rampage, which ended with him being shot dead by police.

It emerged this afternoon that Salman was taken into custody by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation outside her home in San Francisco.

The New York Times reports that prosecutors have been weighing up charges against her for some time in the aftermath of the attack on June 12 last year.

Part of the bar has clearly being ripped out (Image: City Of Orlando Records)

A toilet was damaged in the attack (Image: City Of Orlando Records)

The pictures were released the day after Mateen's wife Noor Salman was arrested by the in connection to the killings (Image: City Of Orlando Records)

One source is said to have revealed Salman has been charged with obstruction.

CBS News reports that she is also facing charges of aiding and abetting.

Salman - who had a three-year-old son with Mateen - was expected to appear before a federal court in San Francisco today.

MLS club Orlando City has unveiled a permanent tribute to the 49 people killed in the Pulse nightclub attack at their new stadium.

Dozens were injured in the attack (Image: City Of Orlando Records)

Among the purple and white seating at the club’s new home, to be opened for the coming season, is a section of rainbow coloured seats to honour those lost in the shooting at the gay nightclub in June last year.

The rainbow colours have been chosen to reflect the club’s aim to be an "inclusive, diverse and welcoming community” as it begins a new chapter this season.

Each seat is also adorned with the simple but powerful message, #orlandounited.

Aerial footage from the crime scene (Image: City Of Orlando Records)

Matt Mitchell pays his respects at a memorial in front the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts to the victims of the Pulse gay nightclub shooting — Family and friends pay their respects at a memorial to the victims of the Pulse night club shooting (Image: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

MLS club Orlando City unveiled a permanent tribute to those murdered in the killings at their new stadium (Image: Twitter/@OrlandoCitySC)

"We are here to commemorate and unveil the 49 rainbow-colored seats that will sit permanently in section 12 of our stadium as a constant reminder of the senseless acts of June 12," said club founder and life president Phil Rawlins, who was there to commemorate the seats, on ESPN FC .

"These are regular season-ticket holder seats. We put them in section 12 because obviously we felt that was pertinent.

"It was June 12th last year when the tragedy happened.

"They are right down by the benches and will certainly be seen by everyone in the stadium."

Family and friends of victims, along with survivors, gathered at 2.02am, the time the shooting started, to mark the tragedy's six-month anniversary (Image: Rex Features)

The Pulse shooting as been labelled the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in US history, with the most casualties from a terrorist attack since September 11, 2001.

The stadium will host its first full MLS fixture on March 5 against New York City FC.

Police release harrowing crime scene pictures inside Orlando nightclub where terrorist killed XX people