FBI believed Orlando shooter wouldn't go postal

The FBI's 2013 investigation of Orlando, Florida, club shooter Omar Mateen found that he was not thought to be a terrorist – nor was he believed to be capable of "going postal," according to new documents released on Monday by Judicial Watch.

WND reported shortly after Mateen, 29, reportedly launched a mass shooting at a club in Orlando that left more than four dozen dead and at least as many wounded that he had been investigated by the FBI. He was killed in the attack.

Judicial Watch on Monday released documents that it obtained through a Freedom of Information Act process that included comments from the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office quoting an FBI investigator.

These results followed complaints that Mateen, working for the private G4S security company as a guard in county facilities, had been commenting to sheriff's deputies about terrorism and violence.

A sheriff's officer wrote, "FBI concluded a several month long thorough investigation of one of our G4S employees, Omar Mateem, (sic) who works at the courthouse. Last night, I spoke with FBI SAC Rand Glass who informed me they believe this individual has been making comments about his capabilities via his alleged middle eastern terrorist contacts as a form of tit for tat – who is the biggest and baddest rhetoric. Reportedly, Mateem told FBI he did this because a deputy who no longer works at the courthouse kept calling him a 'towel head.' Mateem denied saying some things the FBI knows he did say. If he were smart he should not lie to them about any portion of the investigation (federal offense). They plan to speak to him again regarding the discrepancy.

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"Rand told me 'We do NOT believe he is a terrorist.' Yesterday, the FBI spoke with him in person and reportedly Mateem became very upset that someone contacted the FBI. Regarding this demeanor Rand said, 'I don't believe he will go postal or anything like that.'"

The comments came in a note from St. Lucie County Sheriff's Maj. Michael Graves as part of an internal discussion on how to handle Mateen's comments. The memo was to Director of Detention Patrick Tighe, and the conversation included a commitment to discuss at a subsequent staff meeting.

Judicial Watch reported at the time of the FBI interview, Mateen was employed by the security company G4S and served as a security guard at the St. Lucie County courthouse. Shortly after the email memo from Graves, the sheriff's department demanded that G4S remove Mateen from his position.

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In addition to its work in St. Lucie, G4S is a major contractor with the Department of Homeland Security, providing security at America’s ports and along the Mexican border.

"The documents show the FBI blew it," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "The agency let Mateen off the hook even though he threatened his co-worker and tried to lie to the FBI agents questioning him about terrorist ties."

He continued, "No wonder the FBI reportedly tried to stop Florida law enforcement from responding to freedom of information requests about the Orlando massacre."

Judicial Watch previously released public records from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, showing that Mateen was an expert marksman with a handgun.

The documents reveal how the FBI had asked him whether he was related to the Ft. Hood shooter or the Boston bomber, whether he was Muslim and whether he believed Barack Obama was a citizen.

Those were prompted by Mateen's alleged statements that the Boston bomber was a first cousin and that he was related to the Ft. Hood shooter.

There were claims he claimed to know the Kenya mall shooters, which he explained he said "so they would leave me alone."

The newly released documents have been posted online.

Ultimately, the sheriff's office suspended his work at the courthouse and told G4S he would no longer be allowed there, nor have any access to any area "that the public does not already have regular access."

The documents also reveal that Mateen was on a citizen ride-along with the sheriff's office in 2005 when he was injured in an accident, and proved uncooperative after the fact.

He also participated on a sheriff's office volunteer service program, but officials said he was 20 hours "short of the time required by Indian River Academy to complete the internship program."

Mateen's statements on the dispute were that he responded to deputies' persecution of him as a Muslim.

Mateen, according to records, was a registered Democrat and records show he was married to a New Jersey woman originally from Uzbekistan in Port St. Lucie in 2009. According to Florida court records, the two formally divorced in 2011.

“He was not a stable person,” said the ex-wife, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to the Washington Post. “He beat me. He would just come home and start beating me up because the laundry wasn’t finished or something like that.”

Mateen, who allegedly was armed with a rifle and a handgun, reportedly entered Pulse club around 2 a.m. on that Sunday and began shooting, as WND reported.

The deadliest single-person mass murder in American history before Orlando occurred in Bath, Michigan, in 1927, when a man bombed a school, killing 44 people.