Orlando Shooter Was Gay First Terrorist Second

                                                 

                                                                            

The man, who did not want to be identified, wore a disguise and called himself Miguel 

A man who claims he had a "friend with benefits" relationship with Omar Mateen insisted the shooting was not because of any Islamic extremist tendencies but instead was revenge against an HIV-positive lover.

Mateen's shocking attack on the Pulse nightclub in Florida two weeks ago left 49 people dead and dozens more injured in the single deadliest mass shooting on US soil.

In an interview on Wednesday, the man, who did not want to be identified, wore a disguise and called himself Miguel.

He said the reasons behind the massacre could be traced back to a threesome with two Puerto Rican men.

The man, who did not want to be identified, wore a disguise and called himself Miguel

He told Univision he met Mateen last year through a gay dating app and began a relationship soon after. 

Miguel said the sexual relationship lasted about two months and they met at a hotel in Orlando about 20 times.

Univision revealed that a representative for the hotel confirmed Mateen was a familiar face at the hotel during the period in question.

Miguel then provided lurid details about Mateen’s sexual encounters – one of which he said led to the shooting itself.

Mateen was allegedly upset after a threesome with two Puerto Rican men went wrong when one of the men revealed he was HIV positive.

Miguel told Univision anchor Maria Elenas Salinas: "Omar was terrified that he was infected.

"I asked him, ‘Did you do a test?’ Yes. He went to the pharmacy and did the test, it came out negative but it doesn’t come out right away. It takes four, five months."

Miguel believes Mateen intentionally targeted Latinos in retribution for this HIV incident and for the other times his sexual advances were rejected by Puerto Ricans.

He said: "I believe this is not terrorism. He hated gay Puerto Ricans for all the stuff they did to him.

"I believe this crazy horrible thing he did was for revenge."

He told Univision that he met Mateen last year through a gay dating app

There has long been speculation about the gunman's sexuality as a reason behind the shooting – despite Mateen's declared support for ISIS during the tragedy.

One patron of the Pulse nightclub, Jim Van Horn, 71, said Mateen was a "regular" there.

Ty Smith remembered seeing Mateen at Pulse about a dozen times.

He said: "Sometimes he would go over in the corner and sit and drink by himself."

His ex-wife Sitora Yusufiy also claimed that the shooter may have been gay.

She told Time: “He might have been homosexual himself and lived that lifestyle but could never ever come clean about it because of the standards of his father, because of the obligation to be a perfect son."

He said Mateen was upset after a threesome with two Puerto Rican men

Miguel added that Mateen never appeared to be violent. He said the 29-year-old was "looking for love" and "loved to be cuddled".

Miguel described Mateen as a "devout Muslim" but one who believed that the religion was "about love" and "welcomed everybody".

Univision claimed the FBI had spoken with the man named Miguel, but a law enforcement official would neither confirm nor deny this to CBS News.

The official did admit Mateen was a frequent user of online dating sites seeking relationships with both men and women.

OLI SMITH
express.co.uk