The Orlando Shooter Checked To See If His Attack Was Trending On Facebook During Standoff With Police

According to a newly released letter written by the Senate of Homeland Security Committee, Omar Mateen went online and searched for the terms “Pulse Orlando” and “shooting” as victims lay dying during his three-hour standoff with police late Saturday night. The letter was address to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in an attempt to analyze the shooter’s digital footprint.

On top of seeing if his massacre was trending, the 29-year-old also posted a series of Facebook posts before and during the attack to one of at least five Facebook accounts tied to him.

“America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state..I pledge my alliance to [its leader] abu bakr al Baghdadi..may Allah accept me,”

“The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west. You kill innocent women and children by doing us airstrikes … now taste the Islamic state vengeance.”

His final message before being shot dead by the Orlando police was an ominous threat:

”In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the usa.”

According to the Guardian, in May Mateen used Facebook to search for information on the San Bernardino terrorists and on June 4, 2016, Mateen apparently searched “Baghdadi Speech.”
An analysis of Mateen’s electronic devices showed searches for jihadist propaganda, including videos of ISIS beheadings, an official said.

Check out the entire letter from the Senate of Homeland Security Committee to Mark Zuckerberg here.

[h/t The Guardian]

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Matt’s love of writing was born during a sixth grade assembly when it was announced that his essay titled “Why Drugs Are Bad” had taken first prize in D.A.R.E.’s grade-wide contest. The anti-drug people gave him a $50 savings bond for his brave contribution to crime-fighting, and upon the bond’s maturity 10 years later, he used it to buy his very first bag of marijuana.