Omar Mateen, who murdered 49 people at Pulse nightclub in Orlando on Saturday night, may have also been planning an attack at the Walt Disney World resort. According to an interview with his wife, the two visited the resort back in April and Mateen had been "scouting" the Disney Springs area for a potential attack.
Disney Springs, formerly called Downtown Disney, is not a traditional theme park--it is a collection of shops and restaurants. There is considerably less security at Disney Springs compared to the resort's four theme parks.
Omar Mateen and his wife, Noor Zahi Salman, visited Walt Disney World in April, the source says. Salman told federal authorities on Sunday that her husband had more recently been "scouting Downtown Disney and Pulse [nightclub] for attacks."
Unlike the four Disney World theme parks, Downtown Disney, which was recently renamed Disney Springs, doesn't have security and bag check before entry.
Disney amped up security at its U.S. theme parks in December 2015 following the attacks in San Bernardino and Paris. There are metal detectors and bag checks outside of the parks.
In January, a man was caught with firearms and ammunition at the Disneyland Paris resort.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member