Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen Was ‘Religious But Not Radical’

The shooter was described as a soft-spoken, regular worshippers by the imam of the mosque he frequented.

The shooter (left) and a victim’s next of kin. (Photo: The Quint/AP)

At 2 am EST (Eastern Standard Time) on Sunday, an armed gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, leaving 50 dead and injuring dozens more. He was identified as Omar Mateen, who later died in a gun battle with the SWAT team.

The attack has been described as the deadliest mass shooting in US history.

Twenty nine-year-old Mateen’s family was from Afghanistan. He was born in New York and his family later shifted to Florida.

Here is what we know of the deceased shooter:

His Father Says He Hated LGBTs

His father Seddique Mateen was shocked by the actions of his son, and said that the attack wasn’t motivated by religion but by his hate towards the LGBT community.

We are apologising for the whole incident. We were not aware of any action he is taking. 

Seddique Mateen

Seddique was a host of his own show, Durand Jirga, which ran for about three years on the satellite channel, Payam-e-Afgan, and had even posted a video declaring his candidacy for Afghan presidency – a year after the Afghan elections.

But Gay Schoolmate Says He Was ‘My Friend’

Samuel King, Mateen’s former schoolmate said they had been in touch after graduation. King, who is openly gay, added that the shooter did not seem to be anti-gay in their interactions.

‘Soft-spoken, Regular Worshipper’

Syed Shafeeq Rahman, the imam at a mosque Mateen frequented for nearly 10 years, described him as a soft-spoken, regular worshipper.

He hardly had any friends. He would come with his little son at night to pray.

An undated image of Omar Mateen provided by the Orlando Police Department. (Photo: AP)

Underwent Screening, No Findings

Mateen was an armed security officer with G4S, a private-security firm.

He underwent screening twice, in 2007 and in 2013, but the company found nothing that could have made it concerned, according to a G4S statement.

Purchased Arms, Pledged Allegiance to ISIS

In 2011, Mateen got a firearms license, which expired in 2013.

He legally purchased an AR-15-style assault rifle and a handgun that he was carrying at the time of the shooting.

Before the shooting, he called 911 and pledged his allegiance to the ISIS.

Also Read: What We Know So Far About the Orlando Nightclub Shooting

Religious But Not Radical

Mateen’s former wife told The Washington Post that he was “mentally unstable” and would beat her repeatedly when they were married. Their stormy marriage ended in a divorce. The two had not been in touch in the last seven to eight years.

She said he had a history with steroids. She described him as religious, but not radical.

Not Unknown to Law Enforcement

In 2013, Mateen made inflammatory comments to co-workers and was interviewed twice. FBI agent Ronald Hopper called the interviews “inconclusive”.

In 2014, Hopper said officials found Mateen’s ties to an American suicide bomber. However, he described the contact as minimal, saying it did not constitute a threat at the time.