Omar Mateen and the 2016 Pulse Nightclub Massacre
Background
Omar Mir Seddique Mateen was an American security guard who carried out the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016. Mateen was born in New Hyde Park, New York, on November 16, 1986, and grew up in a family of Afghan descent. At the time of the massacre, he was 29 years old and lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, approximately 120 miles southeast of Orlando.
Mateen worked for the private security company G4S Secure Solutions beginning in 2007. His employment allowed him to carry firearms while performing certain security duties. He possessed Florida security-officer and firearms licenses and had no criminal convictions that legally prevented him from purchasing guns.
People who knew Mateen provided conflicting descriptions of him. Some former coworkers described him as aggressive, prejudiced, and prone to angry outbursts. His former wife said he had been controlling and physically abusive during their marriage. Mateen later remarried and had a young son.
Previous FBI Investigations
The Federal Bureau of Investigation examined Mateen twice before the Pulse attack. In 2013, coworkers reported that he had made inflammatory comments and claimed connections to terrorist organizations. FBI agents interviewed him, conducted surveillance, reviewed his records, and used confidential informants during an investigation that lasted approximately ten months. Investigators were unable to substantiate his claims, and the inquiry was closed.
Mateen came to the FBI's attention again in 2014 because he had known Moner Mohammad Abu-Salha, a Florida resident who traveled to Syria and died while carrying out a suicide bombing. Investigators determined that Mateen's contact with Abu-Salha had been limited and found no evidence that Mateen was involved in terrorist planning. He was not under active investigation when he attacked Pulse in 2016.
Preparation for the Attack
In the days before the massacre, Mateen legally purchased a SIG Sauer MCX semiautomatic rifle and a Glock 17 9mm semiautomatic pistol from a firearms dealer in Florida. He also obtained ammunition. Both firearms were later recovered after the nightclub attack.
Investigators determined that Mateen researched locations in the Orlando area before selecting Pulse. Evidence presented during later court proceedings indicated that he searched for Orlando nightclubs and traveled through the area before entering Pulse. Investigators did not establish that he had been directed by the Islamic State or any other foreign terrorist organization. The attack was treated as an act of terrorism carried out by a self-radicalized individual.
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