Man comes forward claiming to be Orlando killer’s lover

A man has come forward claiming to have been Omar Mateen’s lover and that the Orlando killer murdered 49 people to seek revenge against Latino men after an HIV scare.

In an interview with Univision Noticias, the man – who has not been identified and spoke while wearing a disguise – said that he was Mateen’s friend “with benefits” for two months.

Going under the name of Miguel, he also claimed that Mateen’s wife knew that he was gay and that the marriage was to hide his sexuality from his family.

He said that he and Mateen had met on a gay dating site last year.

“He adored Latinos, gay Latinos, with brown skin – but he felt rejected. He felt used by them – there were moments in the Pulse nightclub that made him feel really bad. Guys used him. That really affected him,” Miguel said. “I believe this crazy horrible thing he did – that was revenge.”

The man claimed that Mateen had been angered after a man he had sex with told him that he was HIV positive.

“When I asked him what he was going to do now, his answer was ‘I’m going to make them pay for what they did to me,'” said Miguel.

He also described Mateen as “a very sweet guy” who “was looking for love”.

According to Univision, the FBI has confirmed that it had spoken to Miguel.

Forty-nine people were slaughtered by the 29-year-old Mateen when he opened fire on hundreds of revellers inside the Pulse gay nightclub on June 12.

He was shot by officers who stormed the venue, which had been hosting its Latino night. Around 50 people were also injured in the attack.

The authorities have not yet confirmed a motive for the killings, although Mateen pledged support for the anti-gay radical Islamic group Isis in a phone call to 911.

Last week, there were reports that Mateen had often visited the Pulse nightclub and even had profiles on gay dating sites and apps.

Watch the interview here.