ORLANDO, FL. — Mateen’s ex-wife said he was "mentally unstable and mentally ill."
Raw: Ex-wife says gunman was 'mentally unstable'
Sitora Yusifiy, speaking to reporters in Boulder, Colorado, said Mateen was bipolar and also had a history with steroids.
She said that in the four months they were together, he cut her off from her family and regularly beat her. She said that her family visited her and saw she wasn't OK and rescued her from the situation.
Yusifiy said they literally pulled her out of his arms. She said she left all her belongings and has had no contact with him for seven or eight years.
She said Mateen was religious, but she saw no signs of radicalism.
Of the nightclub massacre she said, "There was no sign of any of this at all."
G4S released this statement: “We are deeply shocked by this tragic event. We can confirm that Omar Mateen had been employed by G4S since September 10, 2007. Mateen was off duty at the time of the incident. He was employed at a gated retirement community in South Florida. Mateen underwent company screening and background checks when he was recruited in 2007 and the check revealed nothing of concern. His screening was repeated in 2013 with no findings. We are cooperating fully with all law enforcement authorities including the FBI as they conduct their investigations. In 2013 we learned that Mateen had been questioned by the FBI but that the inquiries were subsequently closed. We were not made aware of any alleged connections between Mateen and terrorist activities and were unaware of any further FBI investigations. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims of this unspeakable tragedy and their friends and families.”
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A woman who lives next door to the gunman told Channel 9’s Jamie Holmes that their nearby apartment was evacuated Sunday morning while the FBI entered Mateen’s home.
The neighbor said Mateen lived in home with his wife and 4-year-old son, but officials have not confirmed that information. %
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During a news conference Sunday, Sen. Bill Nelson said Mateen might have had “ties to terrorism.”
Authorities are asking anyone who knew Mateen to please come forward.
Mateen was reportedly known to law enforcement, but was not the target of an investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.