This Orlando shooting story has some aspects that don't add up to some kind of radical Muslim ideology. It's sounding more and more like Mateen was an angry man, consumed with hatred, whether self-hatred, homophobia, or racism.
Deangelo Scott was at Pulse Saturday night and had just left when the shooting began. He received text messages from friends in the club telling him to get out if he wasn't already, because a shooting was underway.
He went on to relate two strange stories. The first one is from his friend, who was reportedly playing dead in the bathroom where Mateen was holed up. According to Scott, Mateen allowed black people to leave, saying "he had no problem with the Blacks."
It was Latin night at Pulse. Most of the victims were of Latino descent. But Mateen had "no problems with the blacks."
This occurred after Mateen made the phone call swearing allegiance to ISIS, suggesting that his so-called "radicalism" may have been little more than a cover for his sexual preferences.
Scott also confirmed other reports that Mateen had been a frequent visitor to the club, according to his friends. He also said that a friend recognized Mateen from the gay dating app Grindr.
If these reports are true, then the circumstances surrounding this shooting have very little to do with Islam, and everything to do with a man who had some deep hatred toward some very specific groups, including a group he may have self-identified with.
At this point, I'd say it's a bad idea to make many assumptions about what Mateen's motive may or may not have been.
