Washington-Obama said on Monday that the mass murder carried out by Omar Mateen, the American who has joined ISIS and killed 50 people at a nightclub in the U.S. city of Orlando on Sunday, was “inspired” by violent extremist propaganda.
Omar’s father said that he still did not know why his son did that, and Mateen’s wife said that he was mentally retarded.
In a meeting at the White House, Obama said that investigations did not reveal any relation between the killer and ISIS or any other terrorist organization.
“It appears that the shooter was inspired by extremist information that was disseminated over the Internet and there’s no evidence the killing spree was ordered by ISIS,” Obama said.
“It does appear that at the last minute he announced allegiance to ISIS.”
Obama made the brief remarks after meeting with FBI Director James Comey, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, National Counterterrorism Center Director Nicholas Rasmussen, and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates.
Moreover, the U.S. Department of State disclaimed on Monday news that has been circulated regarding a meeting between Omar Mateen and any official in the state department, especially after publishing a photo of the killer standing in front of the department’s building.
For his part, Omar’s father insisted that his son was not motivated by Islamist radical ideology, describing the 29-year-old as “a good son” who did not appear agitated or angry the day before the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
In two videos — one is an interview with The Washington Post in Florida, and the other is a separate posting to Facebook — Seddique Mateen offered no hints on what could have driven his son, Omar Mateen, to carry out the carnage early Sunday before police killed him.
“If they’re not ready, I still say to them, ‘I’m sorry,’ ” he said. “I’m saddened for their injury or if they lost their dear one.”
But in a Facebook video posted early Monday, he said, “God himself will punish those involved in homosexuality.”
He had a child and a wife and was very dignified, meaning he had respect for his parents,” Seddique Mateen wrote, standing in front of the flag of his apparent birthplace, Afghanistan. “I don’t know what caused him to shoot last night.”
“I am deeply saddened and announce this to the people of America,” said Seddique Mateen in his Facebook video, noting his son carried out the attack during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
In the aftermath, Obama called the shooting an “act of terror” and “act of hate,” against the LGBT community and renewed his call for gun control.
On the other hand, Trump said on Sunday: “People cannot, they cannot believe that President Obama is acting the way he acts and can’t even mention the words ‘radical Islamic terrorism.’ There’s something going on. It’s inconceivable. There’s something going on.”