As more people from Mateen’s past speak out about his troubling behavior, a new man claiming to be his lover says the terrorist attack in Orlando was not rooted in homophobia, but was an act of revenge against Puerto Ricans.
The man, who preferred to remain anonymous, alleges that Mateen once had unprotected sex with two Puerto Rican man, and one later confessed that he was HIV positive. The supposed lover says he contacted the FBI and told them he was "friends with benefits" with Mateen for about two months and had sex with him between 15 and 20 times. He added that they met through the gay dating app, Grindr. According to Univision, the FBI confirmed speaking to this anonymous witness.
The man also claims that Mateen’s wife knew he was gay and frequented gay bars, and that their marriage was a front to hide his sexuality.
Earlier this month, Mateen opened fire in the popular gay nightclub Pulse on Latin night, killing 49 and sending 53 to the hospital. After a gun exchange with police, he killed himself. He had previously appeared on the FBI’s terror watch list but was removed when authorities couldn’t prove probable cause. Before the attack, he called 911 and pledged his allegiance to ISIS.
In a vote on Monday night, the U.S. senate turned down four measures that would have made it more difficult for someone like him to obtain the semi-automatic weapon used to carry out his attack.
