June 13th, 2016
Adding to what the Orlando Sentinel published earlier, we now have this report from the Canadian Press:
A drag-dancing married couple described seeing Mateen as many as a dozen times at the gay-friendly nightclub where he’d later embark on the single worst gun massacre in modern American history.
Ty Smith and Chris Callen recalled the eventual killer being escorted drunk from the Pulse bar on multiple occasions, including one incident where he pointed a knife at a friend.
Both professed shock at seeing his face on TV: “It’s the same guy,” said Callen, who performs under the name Kristina McLaughlin. “He’s been going to this bar for at least three years.”
They expressed incredulity at the story being told by Mateen’s father in the wake of the shooting, that the gunman had once been scandalized during a visit to Miami by the sight of men kissing each other.
They say Mateen saw plenty of men kiss — and far closer to home than Miami.
“That’s bullcrap, right there. No offence. That’s straight-up crap. He’s been around us,” Smith said Monday in an interview at the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida.
Smith and Callen also describe an incident that corroborates other stories of Mateen’s explosive temper:
They said they decided to keep their distance from Mateen after he exploded in anger at a joke told by one of their friends, possibly about religion: “He ended up pulling a knife,” Callen said.
“He said if he ever messed with him again, you know how it’ll turn out.”
Another witness a local television station another detail:
Kevin West said the shooter, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, contacted him three months ago through a dating app called Jack’d.
“When he first contacted me, he was saying things like, ‘What clubs are popping and things of that sort, what are good places to go?'” West said. “And I remember telling him, ‘Oh, you can just look it up online because I don’t go out that much.”
West told the station that he turned the communications over to the FBI.
This thread seems to be picking up steam. Chris Hayes tweeted this teaser:
I talked to regular today who said the same. And that his friends recognized him as well. https://t.co/HOCEq1q4C9
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 13, 2016
The man I spoke with today also said the shooter has messaged him on a gay dating app. His friend as well. We'll run the interview tonight.
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 13, 2016
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Lucrece
June 13th, 2016
Great, straight people love to spin this as a self-hating closet case.
It deflects away blame from the fact that most deaths of gay people happen at straight hands.
Ben in oakland
June 13th, 2016
It is exactly what I posted the other day in my lengthy comment. Time to post it here.
This young vermin was angry for the obvious reason. I am increasingly convinced the the worst, the most vicious, and the most virulent of those opposed to our right to live our lives as free men and women and equal participants in society, whether religious or not, are homosexual hating homosexuals who cannot bear the thought that we are allowed to do just that, when they have confined themselves to the prisons of their small minds, shriveled hearts, minuscule souls, and over-mastering fears that someone will find out about them. Maybe even the God of love that they pretend to worship.
Priya Lynn
June 14th, 2016
This doesn’t convince me that he was attracted to men. I think its plausible that he was on the gay app and going to the club to learn more about his intended terrorism target.
SharonB
June 14th, 2016
Over a three year period, casing places?
Nope.
Priya Lynn
June 14th, 2016
I don’t see anything about “over a three year period”.
Priya Lynn
June 14th, 2016
I see it now, never mind.
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