‘I complained multiple times that he was dangerous,’ former co-worker says of Orlando shooter
‘I complained multiple times that he was dangerous,’ former co-worker says of Orlando shooter
A former co-worker of Omar Mateen said Sunday that the man identified as the mass shooter in the Orlando nightclub massacre often used slurs against African Americans, gay people and women.
Daniel Gilroy, 44, worked with Mateen for about a year as a security guard at PGA Village South in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
“I complained multiple times that he was dangerous, that he didn’t like blacks, women, lesbians and Jews,†Gilroy told The Times on Sunday.
Mateen threatened violence in front of him, Gilroy said. Once when Mateen saw an African American man driving past, he said he wished he could kill all black people, using a racial slur, Gilroy recalled.
“You meet bigots,†Gilroy said, “But he was above and beyond. He was always angry, sweating, just angry at the world.â€
Gilroy, a former Fort Pierce police officer, described Mateen as “unhinged and unstable.†He said Mateen talked about his father living in the area but did not mention his Afghan roots or his faith.
Gilroy said he quit his security job after Mateen began harassing him, sending as many as 20 or 30 text messages a day and more than a dozen phone messages. Gilroy said his employer, G4S, did not intervene.
“I saw this coming,†he said.
In a statement released earlier in the day, John Kenning, chief regional executive for GS4, confirmed that Mateen worked for the company since 2007.
“We are shocked and saddened,†Kenning said. Company officials said they are preparing a response to Gilroy’s remarks.
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