That was sophomore Omar Mateen, according to one of the accounts from former students in Stuart, Fla., remembering 9/11 and the reaction by the student who, nearly 15 years later, would carry out the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
The recollections of Mateens actions could not be independently verified, and the memories could be clouded by the years that have passed. But similar versions were detailed in separate interviews. As the snapshot in time, the recollections appear to offer yet another stitch in the wider tapestry of Mateens life and views before Sundays rampage, which included his pledge of loyalty to the Islamic State during a call to police during the standoff.
In an interview, Robert Zirkle, then a freshman at Martin County High School, said he saw Mateen excited and making fun of how America was being attacked on 9/11. He was making plane noises on the bus, acting like he was running into a building, Zirkle recalled. I dont really know if he was doing it because he was being taught some of that stuff at home or just doing it for attention because he didnt have a lot of friends.
Before 9/11 happened, we were pretty straight. We all rode the same bus. We werent really close friends, but friends at least a little, he added, noting that Mateen attended the Spectrum Alternative School, a separate campus in Stuart for students with poor grades or behavioral issues.
After 9/11 happened, he started changing and acting different, Zirkle said.
One former student told Zirkle on Facebook that on 9/11, the students were watching the TV in class. On the group chat, the former student wrote that Mateen stood up in class during the 9/11 attack and after the second plane hit the building he started jumping up-and-down cheering on the terrorist.
One former student who was sitting in the same class as Mateen remembers the morning of 9/11 clearly: Teachers said turn on the TV. We see the one plane hit. And then see second plane hit
[Mateen] was smiling. It was almost like surreal how happy he was about what happened to us.
The former student said Mateen went on to claim that Osama bin Laden was his uncle. The ex-classmate spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of business clients finding out he attended an alternative school. Mateens claim of family links to bin Laden was also mentioned by Zirkle.
