I thought that, too, but so much of the info about that seems unreliable and contradictory, e.g. some claim Mateen was a regular at Pulse while others say he had never set foot in the place before the shooting and didn't even know it was a gay club. Also, 'On June 25,
The New York Times reported that after exhaustive investigation with help from the FBI, the gay dating network Adam4Adam concluded that Mateen had never used its app. With regard to reports of Mateen using its and other dating sites and apps for gay men, an Adam4Adam spokesman said, "I think it was a hoax." Furthermore, the article stated that after 500 interviews, the FBI has not found any evidence of homosexuality "through (Mateen's) web searches, emails or other electronic data." The FBI, however, "has found evidence that Mateen was cheating on his wife with other women."'
'ABC News and Fox News reported that early in the morning of June 12, the day of the attack, Mateen posted on one of his Facebook accounts: "The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west ... You kill innocent women and children by doing us airstrikes...now taste the Islamic state [
sic] vengeance" as well as "America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state." His final post to Facebook was "In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic State in the usa." These posts, since deleted, were uncovered by the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.'
As the Trial of Omar Mateen’s Wife Begins, New Evidence Undermines Beliefs About the Pulse Massacre, Including Motive
So at this point, a media slant to take away some of the focus from radical Islam and to garner sympathy and outrage for the gay community wouldn't be surprising whatsoever. Regardless, his actions were spurred on by belief in the death cult. But I suppose it's debatable as to when and how someone is truly part of a terrorist group, what that means, how much involvement is necessary, etc.
nypost.com
