Sunday on a special edition of CNN’s “Outfront,” network correspondent Brian Todd discussed his reporting on Orlando shooter Omar Mateen and his interactions with some of his high school classmates.
According to Todd, after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists attacks, Mateen had claimed terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden was his uncle.
“We spoke with people who knew Mateen at two different schools in the Port St. Lucie area – at Martin County High School and at Spectrum Junior and Senior High School in Stuart, FL,” Todd said. “Both of those schoolmates told us that Omar Mateen’s mental state seemed to change after Sept. 11. Both these schoolmates said Mateen said out loud at that time that Osama bin Laden was his uncle. Not clear if he said it in a serious way or if they took him seriously. But they did tell us that he got brushback from a lot of kids when he said that. Another classmate, however at Spectrum, told us that Mateen did not stand out to her as someone who could possibly do something like this, Erin.”
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor