The ex-wife of Omar Mateen, the man identified as the shooter who killed 50 people in a nightclub on Sunday, told The Washington Post that her former husband was not a “stable” person and was physically abusive toward her.
Mateen reportedly open fired at the gay club, Pulse as closing hours drew near, and took hostages before he ultimately died following a shootout with SWAT members.
His ex-wife, who spoke to the Post out of anonymity because she feared for her safety following the shooting, said she met Mateen online eight years ago. She said their marriage seemed normal at first, but that he became abusive.
“He was not a stable person. He beat me,” she told the newspaper. “He would just come home and start beating me up because the laundry wasn’t finished or something like that.”
The two were married for a few months and formally divorced in 2011, reported the Post. She told the publication that she was “still processing” what had happened in Orlando.
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