Orlando shooter a repeat customer at Pulse, may have also scouted Disney World

Regular patrons at Pulse, the gay nightclub where shooter Omar Mateen killed 49 people over the weekend, remember seeing the shooter there before. The Orlando Sentinel reports:

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At least four regular customers at the Orlando gay nightclub where a gunman killed 49 people said Monday that they had seen the killer, Omar Mateen, there before.

“Sometimes he would go over in the corner and sit and drink by himself, and other times he would get so drunk he was loud and belligerent,” said Ty Smith, who also uses the name Aries.

[…]

Smith told the Orlando Sentinel that he saw Mateen inside at least a dozen times.

“We didn’t really talk to him a lot, but I remember him saying things about his dad at times,” Smith said. “He told us he had a wife and child.”

Twelve visits seems…significant. If Mateen was as put off by gay men as his father claimed, why would he intentionally spend time in a club where he was bound to be offended? Was he working to stoke his own hatred prior to the attack, i.e. placing himself in the very situation that would eventually make him angry enough to kill? Or was there possibly another explanation:

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Fox News reports that authorities are also looking for evidence Mateen may have been scouting Disney World as a possible target:

As of Monday, investigators are currently scrubbing the Pulse nightclub gunman’s computer for any pictures or videos of Disney World that would suggest Omar Mateen cased the park or its surrounding areas as a potential target, according to the source.

When asked if any direct evidence was found so far, the source told Fox News “it’s still early.”

The FBI has also been in contact with security officials at Disney World to review security camera footage that would place Mateen at the park or at any of its surrounding attractions, the law enforcement source said.

[…]

People Magazine reported earlier on Monday that Mateen’s ex-wife told the feds he had recently scouted Disney World.

So it’s at least possible Mateen was scouting a number of sites and finally settled on the club.

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David Strom 10:30 AM | November 15, 2024
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