Omar Mateen

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Omar Mateen
Omar Mateen.jpg
A driver's license photo of Mateen
Born Omar Mir Seddique[1]
(1986-11-16)November 16, 1986
New Hyde Park, New York,[2][3] United States
Died June 12, 2016(2016-06-12) (aged 29)
Orlando, Florida, United States
Cause of death Gunshot wound by police officers
Nationality American
Occupation Security guard[4][5]
Religion Islam[6][7]
Spouse(s) Noor Zahi Salman (m. 2013–16) (his death)
Parent(s) Mir Seddique Mateen (father)
Killings
Date June 12, 2016
c.  2:00 a.m. – c.  5:00 a.m.
Location(s) Orlando, Florida, United States
Target(s) Patrons of Pulse gay nightclub
Killed 49
Injured 53
Weapons SIG Sauer MCX semi-automatic rifle
9mm Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol

Omar Mir Seddique Mateen (November 16, 1986 – June 12, 2016)[8] was an American mass murderer. He killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in a mass shooting at the Pulse gay bar in Orlando, Florida. He was killed in a shootout with the local police.

Prior to the shooting, he had been investigated by the FBI in 2013 and 2014. In a call to 9-1-1 during the attack, Mateen pledged his allegiance to the Sunni militant jihadist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). He cited as "inspiration" Moner Mohammad Abu Salha, a former acquaintance from his local mosque and a suicide bomber tied to the al-Nusra Front (a rival al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group) who had targeted Syrian government troops.[9][10]

Early life[edit]

Mateen was born Omar Mir Seddique[1] on November 16, 1986[8] in New Hyde Park, New York, to Afghan parents. His father, Mir Seddique Mateen, is a Pashtun[11] who emigrated in the 1980s.[12][13][14] After being raised in New York for a few years, he moved with his family to Port St. Lucie in 1991.[11] His family was described as being moderate Muslims and "an all-American family".[15]

At a young age, Mateen displayed an interest in violence, the Associated Press and The Washington Post reported. For his elementary and middle school education, he attended classes in St. Lucie County, Florida. While at Mariposa Elementary, a third grade teacher wrote that Mateen was "very active ... constantly moving, verbally abusive, rude, aggressive ... much talk about violence & sex ... hands all over the place – on other children, in his mouth". In the seventh grade, Mateen was moved to a separate class with the purpose of avoiding "conflicts with other students" and suffered from poor scholarly performance due to "many instances of behavioral problems".[16] A classmate of Mateen at Mariposa said that Mateen was a bully and disrespectful to girls while also acting like he was better than his classmates. Another classmate reported that Mateen was bullied at school because of his weight and his Afghan heritage. His parents were described as "dismissive" of his poor behavior while his father "had a reputation for being disrespectful of female teachers and dismissive of complaints about his son".[15] In 1999 while Mateen was in the eighth grade, a letter sent from Mateen's teacher to his father noted an "attitude and inability to show self-control".[16]

Mateen began his secondary education at Martin County High School in 2000 and at the age of fourteen was expelled after being in a fight in math class, where he was briefly arrested without being handcuffed and charged with battery and disrupting school, though the charges were later dropped by the school.[17][18] While a sophomore attending Spectrum, an alternative high school for those that have issues with their behavior, classmates told The Washington Post that Mateen cheered in support of the hijackers during the September 11 attacks and that he stated that Osama bin Laden was his uncle who taught him how to shoot AK-47s, all of this prior to the knowledge of bin Laden being the mastermind of the September 11 attacks.[15][16][19] After his outburst, Mateen's father arrived at the school to pick him up and slapped him in the face, with Mateen later being suspended for five days after the incident.[15][16] Soon after the September 11 attacks, repeatedly "he shocked other students on his school bus by imitating an exploding plane", reported The New York Times.[20] A retired dean of Martin County High School, Dan Alley, stated that "We tried to counsel him and show him the error of his ways, but it never had the effect that we were hoping for" and that his father "would not back up the school, and he would always take his son's side".[16] Mateen was later sent to St. Lucie West Centennial High School after getting into a fight with a student.[19][21][22] By the time Mateen had returned and graduated from Martin County's Stuart Adult Vocational School in 2003, he had been suspended for 48 days for being involved in fights and injuring other students.[11][16]

Post-secondary education and employment[edit]

Mateen attended Indian River State College's Criminal Justice Training program and in a questionnaire, he admitted to committing or being involved in a crime that went undetected, but did not provide specific details and later earned an associate of science degree in criminal justice technology from the college in 2006.[11][22][23] He worked in a number of local stores and restaurants while attending school.[11]

In October 2006, Mateen began working as a recruit for the Florida Department of Corrections, being assigned to the Martin Correctional Institution. In a letter explaining his juvenile record as part of his successful application, Mateen explained the incident of when he was arrested at school when he was fourteen. He also wrote that he had experimented with marijuana as a young teenager. Following the Virginia Tech shooting in April 2007, Mateen suggested in a corrections officer training class that he would bring a gun to class. P.H. Skipper, who was the warden at institution, wrote that "in light of the tragic events at Virginia Tech officer Mateen's inquiry about bringing a weapon to class is at best extremely disturbing". Days later on April 27, 2007, Mateen "was involuntarily dismissed" from the program and never became a certified corrections officer.[18][22][24][25]

Mateen then worked for British-based security firm G4S Secure Solutions in Jupiter, Florida, from September 2007 until his death.[17][26][27][28] The company said two screenings of Mateen—one conducted upon hiring and the other in 2013—had raised no red flags.[29] Nonetheless, G4S removed Mateen from his job post at a courthouse because of his terrorism comments.[30] G4S then "kept Mateen as an employee" but moved him "to a kiosk at a gated community in Palm Beach County.[31]" He held an active firearms license and an armed security guard license.[32][33] He passed a psychological test and medical exam performed by Dr. Syed Shafeeq Rahman, who had close ties with Mateen's family.[16] It was also noted that Mateen had no criminal record.[34] In 2010, he was videotaped while working security for a site related to the BP oil spill.[35][36] Mateen said of those working on the cleanup: "Everybody's just, get out to get paid. They're like hoping for more oil to come out and more people to complain so they'll have jobs. They want more disaster to happen." Video of his comments were included in a 2012 documentary, The Big Fix.[37]

Personal life[edit]

In 2006, Mateen filed a petition for a name change, adding Mateen as his surname to match that of his parents.[1][11] The same year, he registered to vote as a member of the Democratic Party.[38]

In April 2009, Mateen married an Uzbekistan-born woman whom he met in 2008 through Myspace, a social networking site.[39] They separated after four months and divorced in July 2011.[23][40][41]

Mateen visited Saudi Arabia for an eight-day trip in 2011 and a ten-day trip in 2012. The latter was organized by the Islamic Center at New York University. It included twelve New York City police officers and groups from Columbia and Yale and visited Mecca and Medina.[42][43] Around these times, he went to the United Arab Emirates.[44][45] FBI Director James Comey said Saudi officials helped investigate Mateen's trips.[46] In June 2016, the House Intelligence Committee said that U.S. investigators "are searching for details about the Saudi Arabia trips."[43]

Noor Salman, Mateen's second wife, was listed as Mateen’s spouse on a September 2013 St. Lucie County mortgage document. She had moved into Mateen's Fort Pierce home in November 2012.[22] By September 2013, they were living in a house in Port St. Lucie with Mateen's father and another relative. Salman left Mateen and joined relatives in Rodeo, California, by December 2015. At the time of his death, Mateen had a three-year-old son with Salman.[22][47][48]

At the time of the shooting, he lived about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Orlando, Florida,[12][13] in Fort Pierce, but received mail at his parents' home in nearby Port St. Lucie.[23] According to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records, he had no criminal record in Florida.[23]

Characterization[edit]

Mateen's father, Mir Seddique Mateen, who hosted a TV show called Durand Jirga Show on satellite television network Payam-e-Afghan in 2015 in which he represented himself as a candidate for the President of Afghanistan,[14][49] and who has expressed gratitude towards the Taliban,[50] said of his son's actions, "This had nothing to do with religion." He was quoted as saying that he had seen his son get angry after witnessing a gay couple kiss in front of his family at the Bayside Marketplace in Miami months prior to the attack, which he suggested might have been a motivating factor.[51][52]

Following the nightclub attack, Mateen's ex-wife told media outlets that during their marriage, Mateen was mentally unstable, and would beat her and keep her completely separated from her family.[53] She also said that he was bipolar and had a history of using steroids.[41] A former high school student told the Washington Post that he witnessed 15-year-old Mateen on the day of the September 11 attacks being physically assaulted by his father, Mir Seddique Mateen, in front of other students.[54]

Imam Shafiq Rahman at the Fort Pierce Islamic Center told reporters that Mateen would come to the mosque "three or four times a week"[6] with his father and his three-year-old son as recently as two days before the shooting, and said "He was the most quiet guy. He would come and pray and leave. There was no indication at all of violence." Rahman added that he did not preach violence toward homosexuals.[55]

A former high school friend and coworker said that Mateen had no obvious conflicts with his gay coworkers at Treasure Coast Square, a shopping mall at Jensen Beach.[17][56]

A former coworker who worked with Mateen in a gated community in western Port St. Lucie described him as "unhinged and unstable". He also said that he frequently made homophobic, racist, and sexist comments, and talked about killing people.[1][57] The coworker stated he complained to G4S about Mateen "several times";[58] another co-worker told The New York Times Mateen made people wait at the gate for a number of reasons, including "if it was time for him to do his prayers."[59] A resident who had lived at the community since 2011 described Mateen as "very polite" and "a very nice, positive person",[57] however, another customer said Mateen "acted like a straight-up predator."[60]

Sexual orientation[edit]

People who knew Mateen have speculated that he might have been gay or bisexual. A male friend of his from 2006, when the two were in police academy together, said that Mateen went to gay clubs with him and that Mateen once expressed an interest in dating him. Club-goers also recalled Mateen dancing with another man.[61][62] One classmate, who asked not to be identified by name, said Mateen asked him if he was gay.[63][64]

The Orlando Sentinel and The Palm Beach Post reported that at least five regular customers at the Pulse nightclub had seen Mateen visit the venue on at least a dozen occasions. Sometimes Mateen drank in a corner by himself "and other times he would get so drunk he was loud and belligerent."[2][63] A witness, who recognized Mateen outside the club an hour before the shootings, told investigators that Mateen had been messaging him for about a year using a gay dating app called Jack'd. He gave his phone to the FBI for analysis, along with his login details for the application.[65] A third witness said that Mateen had tried to pick up men at the nightclub.[66] Dozens of other witnesses, however told the Tampa Bay Times that they had never seen Mateen at the nightclub.[11] A spokesperson for Barbara Poma, the owner of the Pulse nightclub, called the statement that Mateen had been a regular patron "untrue and totally ridiculous".[67]

Mateen's father Sidiqque denied that his son was closeted, saying, "If he was gay, why would he do something like this?"[64] Two days later, after multiple reports questioned whether Mateen was homosexual, Mateen's father said, "I didn't see any of it and I don't believe that was the case."[68] However, during an interview with the Brazilian television station SBT Brazil, Mateen's ex-wife, Sitora Yusufiy, claimed that his father called him gay while in her presence.[69][70] Following the shooting, Mateen's father stated, in an online video in his native language, Dari: "In this month of Ramadan, the gay and lesbian issue is something that God will punish", though "the servants of God shouldn't have anything to do with it."[71]

The Wall Street Journal reported Yusufiy as saying that "[he] did feel strongly about homosexuality".[64] Yusufiy, when asked if Mateen was gay, said she "didn't know" and recalled that he had confessed to going to nightclubs.[61][62][72] Gawker reported that Yusufiy's fiance, Marco Dias, told Brazilian media in Portuguese that she had told him that Mateen had "gay tendencies".[73] He also added that his family and others believed he was gay, and that "the FBI asked her not to tell this to the American media".[69][70]

On June 16, 2016, The New York Times reported that the FBI was skeptical of reports that Mateen was "gay but 'closeted'" and that that he had made use of homosexual bars or apps.[74] On June 18, the same source added that "federal officials say they have found no evidence in his effects or online presence to back them up."[75] On June 23, 2016, the Los Angeles Times reported that the FBI has found no evidence "to support claims by those who say Mateen had gay lovers or communicated on gay dating apps". Investigators consider at least one claimant of homosexual relationships with Mateen not "credible".[76] On June 25, The New York Times reported that after exhaustive investigation with help from the FBI, “the world’s largest gay hookup site” concluded with regard to Mateen using gay apps or websites: "it was a hoax.” Furthermore, the NYT stated that after 500 interviews, the FBI has not found any evidence of homosexuality "through [Mateen's] web searches, emails or other electronic data".[77]

Attorney General Loretta Lynch is on record as saying of Mateen "I do not want to definitively rule out any particular motivation here," she said, later adding, "It's entirely possible that he had a singular motive. It's entirely possible that he had a dual motive."[78]

Alleged links to terrorist groups[edit]

The FBI investigated Mateen in May 2013 after he made "inflammatory" remarks while working as a security guard. Mateen had told his coworkers that his family was linked to al-Qaeda and that he had joined Hezbollah, an enemy of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIL during his 2016 shooting. FBI Director James Comey commented on the contradictions within Mateen's statements. The FBI interviewed Mateen twice after opening an investigation; in these interviews, Mateen admitted to making the statements but "explained that he said them in anger because his co-workers were teasing him." After 10 months, the investigation was closed and Mateen determined not to be a threat. Mateen had been placed on a terrorist watch list while the investigation was under way, but he was removed from it afterwards. Mateen came to the FBI's attention again in July 2014, when he was linked to Moner Mohammad Abu Salha, an American who had traveled to Syria and committed a suicide bombing in late May 2014. The two had been acquainted and "attended the same mosque." The investigation continued, but focused on Abu Salha rather than Mateen,[79][80] law-enforcement officials told the Wall Street Journal.[32] U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, the ranking Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, said that according to the Department of Homeland Security, Mateen had pledged allegiance to ISIL, though analysts noted that "at this point, it's anyone's guess as to how involved Omar Mateen was with either Al Qaeda or ISIL."[81] Mateen had also pledged support for a suicide bomber who claimed to represent the al-Nusra Front, a Syrian branch of al-Qaeda and an opponent of ISIL.[9]

A survivor of the shooting said Mateen talked about wanting the United States to "stop bombing my country" and confirmed that Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIL.[82][83]

Role in the Orlando nightclub shooting[edit]

Further information: 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting

Two months before the attack, Mateen transferred his share of a Port St. Lucie home for only $10 to his sister and brother in law.[84]

Mateen legally purchased a SIG Sauer MCX semi-automatic rifle and a 9mm Glock 17 handgun,[85][86][87][88] the two firearms later used in the shooting, from a gun shop in Port St. Lucie two weeks before the shooting.[89] He also attempted to purchase body armor, but was unable to do so as the store where he tried to make the purchase did not sell the product he sought.[90] A few weeks prior to the attack, he attempted to purchase body armor and 1,000 rounds of bulk ammunition at another gun shop, but the staff became suspicious of him and turned him away. A salesperson at the shop then said he contacted the FBI, but federal officials said they had no record of such a report, and the local sheriff's office also said it was unaware of the incident.[91][92]

Officials briefed on the investigation also stated that Mateen went to an unspecified Walt Disney World theme park with his wife.[43][93] He visited both Disney Springs, where security is less strict than at Disney theme parks, and Pulse between June 1 and 6 during the Gay Days 2016 celebrations at Disney World and in the Orlando area.[94]

NBC News reported that Noor Salman, Mateen's second wife, told the FBI she "drove him once to the gay nightclub, Pulse, because he wanted to scope it out".[95] An official involved with the investigation told the Associated Press that authorities believed Salman knew about the plot beforehand, but were reluctant to charge her based only on this suspicion.[96] Days prior to the event, Salman had accompanied Mateen on a trip to buy ammunition and warned him the evening prior to the event against anything he might be planning.[15]

A month before the attack, Mateen donated blood at OneBlood, a regional blood donation agency, which would later donate a majority of its supply to injured victims.[97]

Hours before the attack, Mateen stopped by his parents' home to visit his father, who said he did not notice anything strange about his son during the visit.[11]

ABC News and Fox News reported that on the early morning of June 12, the day of the attack, Mateen posted on one of his Facebook accounts: "The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west ... You kill innocent women and children by doing us airstrikes..now taste the Islamic state [sic] vengeance" as well as "America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state." His final post to Facebook was "In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic State in the usa." These posts, since deleted, were uncovered by the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.[98][99]

Shooting and death[edit]

At approximately 2:00 a.m. on June 12, 2016, Mateen entered the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and began shooting. At 2:22 a.m., he made a 9-1-1 call in which he pledged allegiance to ISIL; referenced Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bombers;[87] and mentioned Moner Mohammad Abu Salha, an acquaintance of his who died in a suicide bombing in Syria for the Al-Nusra Front in 2014.[100] According to FBI officials, Mateen made two other 9-1-1 calls during the shooting.[101] He also called News 13 of Orlando and identified himself as the nightclub shooter; The Washington Post reported that "he had carried out the Pulse attack for the Islamic State".[102][103]

Mateen took hostages after police arrived and engaged in a gunfight with him. At approximately 5:00 a.m. police shot and killed Mateen, ending the attack. A total of 49 people were left dead along with Mateen and 53 others were injured.[104] The attack was the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in United States history[a] the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in U.S. history,[106][b] and the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since September 11, 2001.[41][108]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The previous deadliest shooting had been the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007.[105]
  2. ^ The previous deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people had been the UpStairs Lounge arson attack in 1973.[107]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Williams, Pete; Connor, Tracy; Ortiz, Erik; Gosk, Stephanie (June 13, 2016). "Gunman Omar Mateen Described as Belligerent, Racist and 'Toxic'". NBC News. Retrieved June 13, 2016. Records also show that he had filed a petition for a name change in 2006 from Omar Mir Seddique to Omar Mir Seddique Mateen. 
  2. ^ a b Lotan, Gal Tziperman; Brinkmann, Paul; Stutzman, Rene (June 13, 2016). "Gunman Omar Mateen visited gay nightclub a dozen times before shooting, witness says". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  3. ^ Brady, Ryan (June 13, 2016). "Orlando shooter born in New Hyde Park". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  4. ^ Perez, Evan; Prokupecz, Shimon; Shoichet, Catherine E. (June 12, 2016). "Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS, official says". CNN. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  5. ^ Detman, Gary (June 12, 2016). "Reports: Omar Mateen of Fort Pierce identified as Pulse Nightclub killer". FOX 28 Media. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  6. ^ a b Nehamas, Nicholas; Gurney, Kyra; Ovalle, David; Brown, Julie K. (June 12, 2016). "Omar Mateen: Portrait of America's deadliest mass shooter". Retrieved June 13, 2016. Imam Syed Shafeeq Rahman said Mateen had been a regular attendee since childhood and came in for worship three or four times a week. 
  7. ^ Lawler, David. "Omar Mateen's imam says he was known at the mosque for being aggressive". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  8. ^ a b Yuhas, Alan (June 12, 2016). "Florida nightclub shooting: 50 killed and 53 injured in 'act of terror' – rolling updates". The Guardian. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  9. ^ a b "Orlando: Omar Mateen 'pledged loyalty to ISIL, others'". Al Jazeera. June 14, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  10. ^ Williams, Pete; Connor, Tracy; Ortiz, Erik; Gosk, Stephanie (June 12, 2016). "Gunman Omar Mateen Described as Belligerent, Racist and 'Toxic'". NBC News. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Montgomery, Ben; Howard, Samuel; LaForgia, Michael (June 13, 2016). "Before Orlando massacre, killer Omar Mateen visited parents one last time". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  12. ^ a b "50 killed in shooting at Orlando nightclub, Mayor says". FOX News Channel. June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  13. ^ a b "CBS News: ISIS Claims Responsibility For Orlando Nightclub Attack That Left 50 Dead". CBS New York (Associated Press/CBS New York). June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  14. ^ a b Bearak, Max (June 12, 2016). "Orlando suspect's father hosted a TV show and now pretends to be Afghanistan's president". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  15. ^ a b c d e Sullivan, Kevin; Wan, William (June 17, 2016). "Troubled. Quiet. Macho. Angry. The volatile life of the Orlando shooter.". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 18, 2016. 
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Weiss, Mitch; Bynum, Russ (June 17, 2016). "Records: Orlando gunman talked about violence in 3rd grade". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 17, 2016. 
  17. ^ a b c Fagenson, Zachary (June 13, 2016). "Gunman in worst U.S. massacre described as 'quiet' but grew hateful". Reuters. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  18. ^ a b Gosk, Stephanie; Winter, Tom; Connor, Tracy (June 16, 2016). "Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen Arrested as Teen for Fight, Records Show". NBC News. Retrieved June 16, 2016. 
  19. ^ a b Wan, William; Murphy, Brian (June 13, 2016). "On 9/11, the Orlando shooter's classmates mourned. Some say he celebrated.". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  20. ^ "‘Always Agitated. Always Mad’: Omar Mateen, According to Those Who Knew Him". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 June 2016. was Omar Mateen betraying his latent extremist sympathies — or was he just being tone-deaf — when, at 14, he shocked other students on his school bus by imitating an exploding plane so soon after the Sept. 11 attacks? "He got on, walked up the first couple of steps, held his arms out and made sounds like a motor and then made an explosion sound — and slipped into his seat," Robert Zirkle, another student on the bus, remembered. “He did this three or four times 
  21. ^ Stutzman, Rene; Inman, Jessica (June 13, 2016). "Omar Mateen: Father, security guard, 'dorky' in school". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  22. ^ a b c d e Jacobo, Julia (June 15, 2016). "New Details Emerge About Orlando Nightclub Shooter Omar Mateen". ABC News. Retrieved June 15, 2016. 
  23. ^ a b c d Jones, Elliott (June 12, 2016). "Who is Omar Mateen?". Treasure Coast Newspapers. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  24. ^ Connor, Tracy; Winter, Tom (June 17, 2016). "Orlando Gunman Talked About Bringing Gun to Training Class in 2007". NBC News. Retrieved June 18, 2016. 
  25. ^ "Omar Mateen: What we know, don't know about Orlando nightclub shooter". Tampa Bay Times. June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  26. ^ Beall, Pat; Morgan, Matt; Mower, Lawrence; Stapleton, Christine (June 12, 2016). "Vero Beach bomber tied to Mateen posted anti-gay video on Facebook". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  27. ^ "A G4S Secure Solutions (USA) Inc. Publication". g4s.com. Fall 2012. p. 10. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  28. ^ Katersky, Aaron; Meek, James Gordon; Margolin, Josh; Hayden, Michael Edison (June 12, 2016). "What We Know About Omar Mateen, Suspected Orlando Nightclub Shooter". ABC News. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  29. ^ Woo, Stu (June 13, 2016). "Orlando Nightclub Shooting Puts G4S in Spotlight Again: U.K.-based security giant that employed Omar Mateen said its vetting had raised no red flags". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  30. ^ Barry, Dan; Kovaleski, Serge F.; Blinder, Alan (18 June 2016). "‘Always Agitated. Always Mad’: Omar Mateen, According to Those Who Knew Him". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 June 2016. In 2013, G4S removed Mr. Mateen from his security post at the St. Lucie County Courthouse after he had made “inflammatory comments” about being involved somehow in terrorism. 
  31. ^ "‘Clerical error’ on Orlando killer’s psychological eval named wrong doctor". The Miami Herald. Retrieved 19 June 2016. The company kept Mateen as an employee, moving him to a kiosk at a gated community in Palm Beach County 
  32. ^ a b Katersky, Aaron; Meek, James Gordon; Margolin, Josh; Hayden, Michael Edison (June 12, 2016). "What We Know About Omar Mateen, Suspected Orlando Nightclub Shooter". ABC News. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  33. ^ "Mateen, Omar". Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  34. ^ Lotan, Gal Tziperman; Brinkmann, Paul; Stutzman, Rene (June 13, 2016). "Witness: Omar Mateen drank alone at Pulse before attack". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  35. ^ "The Big Fix". A YouTube video clip was used for purposes of discussion to establish the man's identity. 
  36. ^ "Documentary Footage Shows Omar Mateen In 2010". Sky News. June 15, 2016. 
  37. ^ Mauney, Matt (June 15, 2016). "2012 documentary shows Omar Mateen working security during BP oil spill". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 15, 2016. 
  38. ^ Walsh, Michael (June 12, 2016). "Omar Mateen called 911, pledged support to ISIS amid mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando: FBI". Yahoo! News. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  39. ^ Healy, Jack (June 13, 2016). "Sitora Yusufiy, Ex-Wife of Orlando Suspect, Describes Abusive Marriage". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  40. ^ "Orlando shooting suspect married, divorced within 2 years". Evansville Courier & Press. June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  41. ^ a b c Fantz, Ashley; Karimi, Faith; McLaughlin, Eliott C. (June 12, 2016). "50 killed in Florida nightclub, shooter pledged ISIS allegiance". CNN. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  42. ^ "Orlando gunman visited Saudi Arabia on NYU trip with 12 NYPD cops". Daily News (New York). June 18, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016. “People on the trip can make their own decisions about how to spend their time, though typically most people participate in the day’s itinerary,” NYU spokesman John Beckman told the Wall Street Journal. 
  43. ^ a b c Shallwani, Pervaiz; Barrett, Devlin; Al Omran, Ahmed; Entous, Adam (June 13, 2016). "Orlando Shooter Scouted Walt Disney World During Search for Targets". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  44. ^ Bertrand, Natasha (June 13, 2016). "Orlando shooter reportedly traveled to Saudi Arabia twice for a religious pilgrimage". Business Insider. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  45. ^ Vinograd, Cassandra (June 13, 2016). "Gunman Was 'Cool and Calm' During Negotiations: Officials". NBC News. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  46. ^ Chappell, Bill (June 13, 2016). "Orlando Gunman Had Been Taken Off Watch List, FBI Director Says". Retrieved June 17, 2016. 
  47. ^ Mathis-Lilley, Ben (June 14, 2016). "Omar Mateen Had Remarried, and His Wife Apparently Knew About His Attack Plans". Slate. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  48. ^ "Florida nightclub shooter apparently made threats in the past; ex-wife claims he beat her and took steroids". Fox News Channel. June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  49. ^ Mateen, Seddique (May 23, 2015). "Seddique Mateen candidacy announcement for President of Afghanistan_B (5.23.2015 Part 1 of 3)" (YouTube video). Durand Jirga Show. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  50. ^ Tim Craig; Max Bearak; Lee Powell. "Shooter Omar Mateen’s father says he’s saddened by massacre, calls gunman ‘a good son’". The Washington Post. Retrieved 21 June 2016. In one video, the elder Mateen expresses gratitude toward the Afghan Taliban while denouncing the Pakistani government. 
  51. ^ Williams, Pete; Conner, Tracy; Ortiz, Erik (June 12, 2016). "Terror? Hate? What Motivated Orlando Nightclub Shooter?". NBC News. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  52. ^ Grimson, Matthew; Wyllie, David; Fieldstadt, Elisha (June 12, 2016). "Orlando Nightclub Shooting: Mass Casualties After Gunman Opens Fire in Gay Club". NBC News. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  53. ^ Goldman, Adam; Tate, Julie (June 12, 2016). "Ex-wife of suspected Orlando shooter: 'He beat me'". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  54. ^ Wan, William; Murphy, Brian (June 13, 2016). "On 9/11, the Orlando shooter's classmates mourned. Some say he celebrated". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
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  56. ^ Zavadski, Katie; Waddell, Lynn (June 12, 2016). "Drag Queen: Orlando Gunman Omar Mateen Was My Friend". The Daily Beast. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  57. ^ a b Westbury, Anthony; Rodriguez, Nicole; Jones, Elliot (June 12, 2016). "Co-worker: Omar Mateen homophobic, 'unhinged'". USA Today. Florida Today. Retrieved June 12, 2016. 
  58. ^ "Co-worker: Omar Mateen homophobic, 'unhinged'". USA Today Network. June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016. Gilroy, a former Fort Pierce police officer, said Mateen frequently made homophobic and racial comments. Gilroy said he complained to his employer several times but it did nothing because he was Muslim. 
  59. ^ BARRY, Dan; KOVALESKI, SERGE F. "‘Always Agitated. Always Mad’: Omar Mateen, According to Those Who Knew Him". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 June 2016. Mr. Mateen would make people wait at the gate, sometimes causing delays, if he felt he had been disrespected, or if it was time for him to do his prayers. 
  60. ^ Barry, Dan. "‘Always Agitated. Always Mad’: Omar Mateen, According to Those Who Knew Him". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 June 2016. Mr. Mateen would make people wait at the gate, sometimes causing delays, if he felt he had been disrespected, or if it was time for him to do his prayers. Jasmine Kalenuik, a frequent visitor to PGA Village, came to dread encountering the guard at the gate — who, she said, "acted like a straight-up predator." 
  61. ^ a b Sandoval, Edgar (June 13, 2016). "Orlando shooter was regular at Pulse gay club; former classmate says Omar Mateen was homosexual". The New York Daily News. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  62. ^ a b "Orlando shooter Omar Mateen was gay, former classmate says". The Palm Beach Post. June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
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  64. ^ a b c Mitchell, Josh; Bauerlein, Valerie; Paletta, Damian (June 14, 2016). "Before Orlando Shooter’s Routine Last Days, Hints of Instability". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 14, 2016. Mr. Mateen had 'confessed' to his ex-wife that in the past 'he very much enjoyed going to clubs and nightlife,' she told CNN on Monday. He 'never made any indication while we were together that he was gay, but he did feel strongly about homosexuality,' she said. 
  65. ^ "Orlando gunman had used gay dating app and visited LGBT nightclub on other occasions, witnesses say". Los Angeles Times. June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
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  67. ^ Stein, Letitia; Edwards, Julia (June 15, 2016). "Federal grand jury could charge wife of Orlando shooter". Reuters. Retrieved June 15, 2016. 
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  71. ^ Hennessy-Fiske, Molly; Jarvie, Jenny; Wilber, Del Quentin (June 14, 2016). "Orlando gunman had used gay dating app and visited LGBT nightclub on other occasions, witnesses say". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  72. ^ "Omar Mateen used gay dating app Jack'd: witness". Ninemsn. June 14, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016. 
  73. ^ Bluestone, Gabrielle (June 12, 2016). "Reports: Ex-Wife and Classmate Say Orlando Killer Was Gay". Gawker. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  74. ^ "Omar Mateen Posted to Facebook Amid Orlando Attack, Lawmaker Says". The New York Times. June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2016. Federal law enforcement officials said Thursday that the F.B.I. is increasingly skeptical of reports that Mr. Mateen was gay but 'closeted', that he had been visiting gay clubs or that he had used gay dating apps. 
  75. ^ Barry, Dan; Kovaleski, Serge F.; Blinder, Alan; Mujib, Mushal (18 June 2016). "'Always Agitated. Always Mad': Omar Mateen, According to Those Who Knew Him". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 June 2016. And while some reports have suggested that he was gay, federal officials say they have found no evidence in his effects or online presence to back them up. 
  76. ^ Hennessy-Fiske, Molly. "FBI investigators say they have found no evidence that Orlando shooter had gay lovers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 June 2016. But the FBI has found no evidence so far to support claims by those who say Mateen had gay lovers or communicated on gay dating apps, several law enforcement officials said. [...] He said Mateen had sex with other men too, including a threesome with a Puerto Rican who allegedly told Mateen, after having had unprotected sex with him, that he was HIV positive. But investigators do not consider the man’s account credible. 
  77. ^ FRANCES ROBLES; JULIE TURKEWITZ. "Was the Orlando Gunman Gay? The Answer Continues to Elude the F.B.I.". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 June 2016. Adam4Adam combed through the profile photos of every one of its 300,000 Florida members and researched 20 email addresses used by Mr. Mateen over the years that the company said had been provided by the F.B.I. Adam4Adam came up with nothing. “I think it was a hoax,” David Lesage, a spokesman for the Montreal-based company, said [...] F.B.I. investigators, who have conducted more than 500 interviews in the case, are continuing to contact men who claim to have had sexual relations with Mr. Mateen or think they saw him at gay bars. But so far, they have not found any independent corroboration — through his web searches, emails or other electronic data — to establish that he was, in fact, gay 
  78. ^ Tucker, Eric; Schneider, Mike (21 June 2016). "No 'Magic Bullet' Against Jihadist Propaganda, Lynch Says". AP.org. 
  79. ^ Shabad, Rebecca (June 13, 2016). "FBI Director Comey: "highly confident" Orlando shooter radicalized through internet". CBS News. Retrieved June 13, 2016. 
  80. ^ BARRETT, DEVLIN; ENTOUS and, ADAM; CULLISON, ALAN. "FBI Twice Probed Orlando Gunman". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 21 June 2016. Law-enforcement officials said that investigation was prompted because Abu-Salha and Mateen attended the same mosque. 
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External links[edit]
General topics
  • Pulse (nightclub)
  • Omar Mateen (perpetrator)
Aftermath
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