Orlando killer’s 'gay lover' claims shooting was revenge against HIV-positive partner
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News Desk
Published: June 23, 2016
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An undated photo from a social media account of Omar Mateen. PHOTO: Omar Mateen via Myspace/Handout via REUTERS
In one of the worst massacres in US history, Omar Mateen shot dead 49 people and injured another 53 at a gay nightclub in Florida.
Although Mateen pledged allegiance to Islamic State at the time of the attack, new evidence has emerged pointing to a very different reason behind the killer’s actions.
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A man who says he was the mass murderer’s lover has claimed Mateen acted out of revenge after finding out one of his partners was HIV positive.
In an interview with a Spanish-language television network,
Univision, the man, who was identified only by the name Miguel, claimed he and Mateen were “friends with benefits”. He added their relationship started after they met on a gay dating website and lasted two months until December, during which time they met between 15 and 20 times at a hotel in Orlando.
Miguel believes Mateen killed out of revenge. “I’ve cried like you have no idea. But the thing that makes me want to tell the truth is that he didn’t do it for terrorism. In my opinion he did it for revenge.”
He claimed Mateen had sex with two Puerto Rican men, one of whom he later discovered was HIV positive, and that he became “terrified”. “He hated gay Puerto Ricans for all the stuff they did to him. I believe this crazy horrible thing he did was for revenge. When I asked him what he was going to do now his answer was: ‘I’m going to make them pay for what they did to me’.”
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The man wore a disguise and his voice was altered for the high profile interview with
Univision, which is the largest Spanish-language television network in the world.
Univision said it had confirmed with the FBI that they were speaking to “Miguel”.
“He (Mateen) adored Latinos, gay Latinos, with brown skin, but he felt rejected. He felt used by them. There were moments in the Pulse nightclub that made him feel really bad. Guys used him. That really affected him,” Miguel said.
Describing the Orlando shooter, he said Mateen was “sweet and affectionate” and had told him he was forced into an arranged marriage.
“He said the Muslim religion is a beautiful, beautiful religion, where everything is about love. Everybody is welcome. Gay, trans, bisexual… everybody. He was looking for love. He was looking to be embraced.”
This article originally appeared on Telegraph.
