Orlando Gunman Had Been Investigated Twice for Possible Terror Ties

The Islamic State-aligned gunman who attacked a packed gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., had been investigated for possible terror ties in 2013 and 2014, yet he was able to legally buy two guns within days of the attack, officials said Sunday afternoon.

Authorities said Omar Mateen, 29, pledged his allegiance to Islamic State on a 911 call shortly before killing at least 50 people and wounding 53 at the Pulse club early Sunday morning in the deadliest mass shooting in American history. After the shooting, a statement attributed to Islamic State's news agency, Amaq, said the attack "was carried out by an Islamic State fighter."

However, his ex-wife, Sitora Yusufiy, told reporters that she believed Mateen was mentally ill and that his emotional problems may have had more to do with the attack than any political or religious allegiance. In a televised news conference, Yusufiy said she and Mateen were together for only about four months, during which he physically abused her, and that she hadn't spoken with him in seven years.

While not speculating on the motive, top Florida and national figures, including President Obama, called the attack a clear act of terror -- the deadliest on American soil since the Sept. 11 attacks.

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