Massacre aftermath: Stress-counseling, huge investigation

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Police offered stress counseling and debriefing Wednesday to the SWAT team and other officers who witnessed the nightclub carnage, as the FBI tried to reconstruct the killer’s movements and figure out what role his wife may have played in the plot.

A long procession of memorials and funerals for the 49 killed in Sunday’s shooting rampage began taking shape, with mourners scheduled to pay their respects at a visitation for a victim remembered as a friendly salesman and makeup artist.

The FBI said it is still gathering evidence at the Pulse and analyzing cellphone location data to piece together Omar Mateen’s activities leading up to the massacre, while also interviewing people who had any dealings with him. It urged anyone with any information about the gunman to contact the bureau.

“We need your help in developing the most complete picture of what he did and why he did it,” FBI agent Ron Hopper said.

Members of the SWAT team underwent a stress-management debriefing Wednesday, as hundreds of others involved in the response to the shooting have done, Police Chief John Mina said. Further counseling is being made available.

“These are some of the bravest toughest men I know,” Mina said. “No one can prepare you for what those officers encountered that night. They stood toe-to-toe and went face-to-face with a mass murderer, and I’m extremely proud of that.”

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