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| Orlando shooter investigated for false claim of ties to Boston Marathon bombers Orlando shooter investigated for false claim of ties to Boston Marathon bombers | |
| (4 months later) | |
| The perpetrator of the Orlando massacre first came under law enforcement scrutiny for falsely claiming to be associated with the brothers who mounted the 2013 Boston Marathon terrorist attack, the Guardian has learned. | The perpetrator of the Orlando massacre first came under law enforcement scrutiny for falsely claiming to be associated with the brothers who mounted the 2013 Boston Marathon terrorist attack, the Guardian has learned. |
| Omar Mateen, whose rampage early Sunday at the LGBT nightclub Pulse left 50 dead, including himself, and 53 wounded, told co-workers at the private-security firm employing him that he knew Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, according to a source close to the investigation who requested anonymity. | Omar Mateen, whose rampage early Sunday at the LGBT nightclub Pulse left 50 dead, including himself, and 53 wounded, told co-workers at the private-security firm employing him that he knew Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, according to a source close to the investigation who requested anonymity. |
| The FBI interviewed Mateen on two occasions in 2013 related to his purported connection to the Tsarnaev brothers, the first known time Mateen drew the attention of federal law enforcement. Ultimately, bureau investigators determined that Mateen had invented the connection and did not pose a security threat. | The FBI interviewed Mateen on two occasions in 2013 related to his purported connection to the Tsarnaev brothers, the first known time Mateen drew the attention of federal law enforcement. Ultimately, bureau investigators determined that Mateen had invented the connection and did not pose a security threat. |
| The FBI confirmed Mateen’s false claim, but would not comment on the invented Tsarnaev connection. | The FBI confirmed Mateen’s false claim, but would not comment on the invented Tsarnaev connection. |
| “I can confirm that the subject made allegations of terror ties that investigation proved to be unfounded, but I can’t comment on the specific association,” Matthew Berton, an FBI spokesman, told the Guardian. | “I can confirm that the subject made allegations of terror ties that investigation proved to be unfounded, but I can’t comment on the specific association,” Matthew Berton, an FBI spokesman, told the Guardian. |
| Mateen was employed by the private security firm G4S and in 2013 worked as an armed security guard for a St Lucie, Florida courthouse. Mateen is believed to have voluntarily informed the company of his contact with the FBI. G4S continued to employ him, and his last role with the firm, active until his death on Sunday, was in an unarmed role, guarding a gated retirement community. | Mateen was employed by the private security firm G4S and in 2013 worked as an armed security guard for a St Lucie, Florida courthouse. Mateen is believed to have voluntarily informed the company of his contact with the FBI. G4S continued to employ him, and his last role with the firm, active until his death on Sunday, was in an unarmed role, guarding a gated retirement community. |
| Some people close to the investigation consider Mateen’s unusual boast of terror ties to be relevant to understanding his motivations for attacking Pulse. The FBI investigation remains in its early stages, but his motive is the principal unsolved question. The invented connection to a prior terrorist act has raised some doubts around the sincerity of his pre-massacre pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State in a 911 call. | Some people close to the investigation consider Mateen’s unusual boast of terror ties to be relevant to understanding his motivations for attacking Pulse. The FBI investigation remains in its early stages, but his motive is the principal unsolved question. The invented connection to a prior terrorist act has raised some doubts around the sincerity of his pre-massacre pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State in a 911 call. |
| Isis quickly claimed credit for the attack, which had followed a call for violence by admirers during Ramadan. But US officials preliminarily consider Mateen not to have had any ties to the jihadist group, making him a so-called lone wolf attacker – if, indeed, his motivation was to attack the US rather than violent homophobia. | Isis quickly claimed credit for the attack, which had followed a call for violence by admirers during Ramadan. But US officials preliminarily consider Mateen not to have had any ties to the jihadist group, making him a so-called lone wolf attacker – if, indeed, his motivation was to attack the US rather than violent homophobia. |
| Mateen’s ex-wife, in a Washington Post interview, said Mateen physically abused her, was mentally unhinged, and showed no signs of religious radicalism. His father, who expressed remorse for the slaughter, said Mateen was incensed by the sight of men kissing. Seddique Mateen told the Guardian that his son “never showed any signs of mental illness or links to extremist groups”. A co-worker with G4S told USA Today that Mateen was mentally unstable and prone to racist and homophobic outbursts. | Mateen’s ex-wife, in a Washington Post interview, said Mateen physically abused her, was mentally unhinged, and showed no signs of religious radicalism. His father, who expressed remorse for the slaughter, said Mateen was incensed by the sight of men kissing. Seddique Mateen told the Guardian that his son “never showed any signs of mental illness or links to extremist groups”. A co-worker with G4S told USA Today that Mateen was mentally unstable and prone to racist and homophobic outbursts. |
| Sources expressed caution over attributing certainty of motivation to Mateen. Barack Obama, reflecting that caution, described the killing as an “act of terror and an act of hate”. Other US politicians are preliminarily describing the attack as inspired by Isis, if not actually directed by the group. | Sources expressed caution over attributing certainty of motivation to Mateen. Barack Obama, reflecting that caution, described the killing as an “act of terror and an act of hate”. Other US politicians are preliminarily describing the attack as inspired by Isis, if not actually directed by the group. |
| The FBI interviewed Mateen again in 2014 due to another ultimately insubstantial terrorist connection to Moner Mohammed Abusalha, another Floridian. Abusalha became a truck bomber in Syria in 2014 for al-Qaida’s local affiliate. Again, the FBI determined that Mateen did not have any real connection to the attacker, and closed its investigation. | The FBI interviewed Mateen again in 2014 due to another ultimately insubstantial terrorist connection to Moner Mohammed Abusalha, another Floridian. Abusalha became a truck bomber in Syria in 2014 for al-Qaida’s local affiliate. Again, the FBI determined that Mateen did not have any real connection to the attacker, and closed its investigation. |
| In a statement released after the attack on the Pulse nightclub, G4S said that Mateen passed background checks it described as thorough. | In a statement released after the attack on the Pulse nightclub, G4S said that Mateen passed background checks it described as thorough. |
| “Mateen was subject to detailed company screening when he was recruited in 2007 and re-screened in 2013 with no adverse findings. He was also subject to checks by a US law enforcement agency with no findings reported to G4S,” stated the company, which did not have immediate comment on Mateen’s false claim of association with the Tsarnaevs. | “Mateen was subject to detailed company screening when he was recruited in 2007 and re-screened in 2013 with no adverse findings. He was also subject to checks by a US law enforcement agency with no findings reported to G4S,” stated the company, which did not have immediate comment on Mateen’s false claim of association with the Tsarnaevs. |