Omar Mateen
He perpetrated the deadliest attack on LGBTQ+ people in American history, a act of hatred that galvanized a global movement for solidarity.
1986–2016 (age 30)·American mass murderer·Birthday: November 16·Millennials
Biography
Omar Mateen's life ended in infamy on June 12, 2016, when he murdered 49 people and wounded dozens more at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Born in New York to Afghan parents, he lived in Florida for most of his life, working as a security guard. He was known to law enforcement prior to the attack; the FBI had interviewed him twice in 2013 and 2014 for inflammatory comments to coworkers but closed its investigations. On the night of the shooting, he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State during a 911 call. The attack, carried out with a semi-automatic rifle and pistol, lasted three hours before police stormed the building and killed him. The tragedy, which surpassed all previous mass shootings in the U.S. at the time, was not just an act of terror but a targeted assault on a LGBTQ+ safe space, sparking nationwide grief, vigils, and urgent debates about gun violence, hate crimes, and homeland security.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Omar was born in 1986, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Omar Was Born
The biggest hits of 1986
#1 Movie
Top Gun
Best Picture
Platoon
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Omar's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1986Born
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1991Started school
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1999Became a teenager
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Could drive
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2004Could vote
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2007Turned 21
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2016Turned 30
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Did You Know?
He worked as a security officer for the global security firm G4S at the time of the attack.
Mateen's father published a video blog expressing political views about Afghanistan.
He had visited the Pulse nightclub multiple times prior to the attack, according to some reports.
The FBI had placed him on a terrorist watchlist for a period in 2013 and 2014.
“I pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of the Islamic State.”
