Orlando Shooter Was Often Seen Inside Nightclub He Terrorized
CHICAGO (CBS) -- New information emerged Tuesday about the personal life of Omar Mateen, including new insight into his sexual orientation.
CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports, the FBI is looking into claims that Mateen frequented the gay night club he attacked on Sunday and used gay dating apps as well.
Jim Van Horn, a club patron, said Mateen was often seen on weekends at Pulse, the scene of the worst mass shooting in U.S history after Mateen killed 49 people there.
"He was a homosexual and he was trying to pick up men," said Van Horn. "He would walk up to them and he would maybe put his arm around them or something and maybe try to get them to dance a little bit or something."
Kevin West says, Mateen messaged him on a gay dating app.
"When he was first contacting me, he was saying, he was asking like, what clubs, in his words, are popping," West said.
West says Mateen never voiced hatred toward anyone.
"He wasn't saying nothing racial or anything like that, you know, that happens at times, but not with him," West said.
Sources tell CBS News that Mateen's wife, Noor Salman, has been interviewed twice by the FBI and is cooperating. Records show Salman lived briefly in suburban Oak Lawn and Berwyn in 2011.
A former neighbor told CBS 2's Lauren Victory that Salman spent most of her time inside her first floor apartment.
"We didn't see her go in and out much," said Samantha Rivera. "Usually a lot of my neighbors, I see them leave, go to work, pull in and out, I didn't see her a lot."
Salman told investigators Mateen had become radicalized within the last year and that the family visited Disney World twice in the last year,
casing the park, investigators say, for a possible attack.
Sources says there's no indication Matten's wife currently faces charges in connection with the Orlando massacre.
Investigators are still digging to see who Mateen was in contact with and who may have had knowledge of his plans.
