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Source: https://www.fbi.gov/news/news_blog/director-provides-update-on-orlando-shootings-investigation
FBI Director Says Orlando Massacre Gunman Had "Strong Indications of Radicalization"
(FBI) FBI Director James B. Comey said Monday that the Orlando shooter made three 911 phone calls from the club during the attack. In the calls, he claimed allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State (ISIL) [Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi], as well as the perpetrators of the 2013 Boston Marathon attack and a Florida man who died as a suicide bomber in Syria for a terrorist group in conflict with ISIL. "There are strong indications of radicalization by this killer and of potential inspiration by foreign terrorism organizations," Comey said. Comey said the FBI opened an investigation of the shooter in May 2013 when, as a contract security guard, he made some inflammatory comments to co-workers and claimed a family connection to al-Qaeda. The shooter admitted making the statements but said he had done so in anger at his co-workers, who he believed were discriminating against him. The case was closed after 10 months. "I don't see anything in reviewing our own work that our agents should have done differently," Comey said.