The man told Univision he believes Orlando shooter Omar Mateen killed 49 people in revenge for having a threesome with an HIV positive man.
A man claiming to be Omar Mateen's former lover says the Orlando shooter killed 49 people at a nightclub out of a grudge against a particular group of men.
In an interview with Univision, the man — who gave his name as "Miguel" and wore heavy makeup as an apparent disguise — described Mateen as a heavy drinker who loved to cuddle and had a love of some Latinos but not all of them.
“He hated Puerto Rican gays because of the bad things they did to him,” Miguel reportedly said.
Miguel claimed the rage was born after Mateen, who was twice married to women, participated in an unprotected gay threesome after which one of the men revealed to him that he was HIV positive.
"In my opinion, he did it for revenge," Miguel claimed.
Miguel claimed he met Mateen on a gay app and that they spent two months as lovers. Miguel described Mateen as "a very sweet guy" who never seemed violent and who loved to cuddle.
However, Miguel claimed Mateen wanted no lasting evidence of their time together.
"We never took a picture together, but it wasn’t because I didn’t want to,” he said. “One time we were in bed together and I took my phone to take a selfie and he grabbed my arm and told me not to do it because we weren’t a couple."
Watch: Orlando Gunman Omar Mateen Was Caught On Hidden Camera In 2012 Documentary
While Univision could not confirm Miguel's claims, the FBI did verify that they've questioned the killer's purported former lover.
"I’ve spent about four days of hell because my phone won’t stop ringing," Miguel said.
Miguel isn't the first to suggest Mateen enjoyed spending time with gay men. Multiple witnesses have come forward in the wake of the tragedy with claims that Mateen was a regular at Pulse nightclub.
Other men have claimed to have known Mateen's face from the gay chat and dating apps Grindr and Jack'd.
Watch: How to Use a Fire Extinguisher AS a Weapon During a Nightclub Shooting
