Law enforcement says Mateen was well prepared, with an assault weapon, a handgun and 2 suspicious devices.
Mateen's father told NBC News, 'This has nothing to do with religion.' He says his son became angry after seeing 2 men kissing a few months ago in Miami, and he speculates that could have triggered his decision to kill. Authorities also believe Mateen specifically targeted a gay club. They say in addition to terrorism this is a hate crime.Īuthorities also believe he is part of the radical Islam movement, although they do not know if it was an organized attack or if he was a lone wolf. Authorities say he was a terrorist and was targeting gays. He's an American citizen and he has family that are not - his parents are Afghan.
