Tipsheet

Florida Gun Store Owner Claims He Warned FBI About Mateen Weeks Ago

Omar Mateen, the terrorist who killed 49 innocent people at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub on Sunday, raised some red flags for a Florida gun store weeks before his rampage. Robert Abell, a co-owner of Lotus Gunworks, told the FBI that Mateen walked into his store inquiring about high-end body armor and then followed up with a phone call about bulk purchases. Abell alerted the authorities to the strange questioning.

Abell added that they thought the man was "very suspicious," so they called the local FBI office in West Palm Beach and reported the incident. But they didn't have the man's name, since no sale was made, and the only surveillance footage they had was grainy.

Yet, the FBI failed to follow up.

"We gave them information and everything that took place, and that was the end of the conversation," Abell said.

The FBI also apparently ignored warnings from Disney World back in April. Since then, it has come to light that Mateen was planning an attack on Disney Springs.