Omar Mateen

Bio:
Omar Mateen (born in 1986 in New York) was the shooter who killed 49 people and injured at least 53 more at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando on June 12, 2016. From 2007 until the time of his death, he worked as a security officer at G4S Secure Solutions. He opened fire on the gay club in the early morning hours of June 12, and was eventually killed in a shoot-out with police officers. During the shooting, Omar called 911 and pledged his allegiance to ISIS. His father admitted that Omar had previously expressed outrage when he saw two gay men kissing, but added that he was not particularly religious. His parents were unaware of any connection or loyalty he had to ISIS. After the shooting, the FBI revealed that Omar had been on officials’ radar since 2013, but because he could not be linked to any specific terrorist threat, he was not placed on a terror watch list.

Best Known For:
Omar is best known as the man who embarked on the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history at an Orlando nightclub on June 12, 2016.

Personal Life:
Omar married Sitora Yusufiy, who he met online, in 2009. However, they quickly divorced when she became aware of his aggressive behavior: She claimed he abused her and also described him as “mentally ill.” He then married Noor Zahi Salman, and they had one son together. It is unclear if they were together at the time of his death.