Omar Saddiqui Mateen: deadliest killer in US history was not driven by Islam
In Orlando, Florida, more than 50 people have been murdered in a massacre carried out by one Omar Saddiqui Mateen. The killer struck at a gay nightclub called Pulse. The story goes that he didn’t like gays.
Approximately 50 people were killed inside Pulse, a gay nightclub, Orlando Police Chief John Mina and other officials said Sunday morning, just hours after a shooter opened fire in what appears to be the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
At least 53 more people were injured, he said.
Some of the injured are very badly hurt:
The shooter is not from the Orlando area, Mina said. He has been identified as Omar Saddiqui Mateen, 29, of Fort Pierce, about 120 miles southeast of Orlando, two law enforcement officials tell CNN.
Orlando authorities said they consider the violence an act of domestic terror. The FBI is involved. While investigators are exploring all angles, they “have suggestions the individual has leanings towards (Islamic terrorism), but right now we can’t say definitely,” said Ron Hopper, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Orlando bureau.
Mateen was born and raised in the US. His parents arrived in the US from Afghanistan. His father tells media:
Mir Seddique, Mateen’s father, told NBC News, “this has nothing to do with religion.” Seddique said his son got angry when he saw two men kissing in Miami a couple of months ago and thinks that may be related to the shooting.
Nothing to do with Islam.
But why were the The FBI watching him?
The Federal Bureau of Investigation at one point opened an investigation into Mateen but subsequently closed the case when it produced nothing that appeared to warrant further investigation.
The BBC notes:
There are “suggestions” the gunman had “leanings towards” radical Islamist ideology, the FBI says.
There will be more suggestions made.
If you’ll forgive a bit of skepticism on my part, that sounds unlikely. I’m not saying that Seddiqui couldn’t have been anti-gay. (Islamic terrorists aren’t exactly known for taking part in pride parades, after all.) But that’s a pretty violent reaction for having “seen two men kissing.” The guy lives in northern Florida and this is the first time in almost thirty years he’s run across two gay guys engaging in a PDA?
The shooter’s ex-wife adds: “He was not a stable person. He beat me. He would just come home and start beating me up because the laundry wasn’t finished or something like that.”
Much more to follow…
Posted: 12th, June 2016 | In: Key Posts, Reviews Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
