John Oliver Talks Orlando Mass Shooting, Sees Nightclub Scene as 'Symbol of What Makes America Great'

By Glenn Minnis Jun 14 2016, 07:46 AM EDT

John Oliver wants you to know he feels your pain stemming from the deadly Orlando nightclub shooting.

"Look, it's still early and details are still emerging, and right now, this just hurts," Oliver said on his "Last Week Tonight" show while weighing in on the worst mass shooting in U.S. history that left 49 dead.

Still, a reflective Oliver wanted all his listeners to remember the fact that so many were able to meet and celebrate at Pulse nightclub the way they were says a lot about the country we live in.

"For the record, I will happily embrace a Latin night at a gay club in the theme park capital of the world as the ultimate symbol of what is truly wonderful about America," he added.

Shooter Rumored to be Homophobic

Police have identified 29-year-old Omar Mateen as the suspected gunmen and a former Fort Pierce police officer and colleague has alleged he often made homophobic and racist comments.

"I quit because everything he said was toxic," said Daniel Gilroy. "And the company wouldn't do anything. This guy was unhinged and unstable. He talked of killing people."

Mateen's father later admitted his recently became enraged when he saw two men kissing.

FBI agent Ronald Hopper said Mateen first came to the attention of the bureau in 2013 when he made "inflammatory comments" to co-workers about having ties to terrorism.

"In the course of the investigation, Mateen was interviewed twice," Hopper said, adding that he insisted he only made the comments out of anger because he thought his co-workers were teasing him about being a Muslim.

He again came under scrutiny in 2014 when he was linked to Moner Mohammad Abu-Salha, a U.S. citizen who who blew himself up that year in a suicide attack in Syria.