What he found was a home not much different than what you might find in any neighborhood, in any state across the country.
There was a TV in the living room, exercise equipment in the corner next to the couch, potted plants and laundry on the floor.
Nothing in the home seemed to openly indicate that the man who lived there would be capable of walking into Pulse nightclub in Orlando early Sunday to kill at least 49 people and wound 53 others.
>> Read more about the Orlando nightclub shooting
There doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary that would lead you to believe he would end up dying in a fire fight with SWAT officers from the Orlando Police Department.
Nothing seemed to suggest that the name of the man who lived there with his wife and child would be on the tongue of a somber President Barack Obama; Florida Gov. Rick Scott; Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer; and politicians, officials and everyday people across the world.
In the master bedroom, you can tell that Mateen or his wife was an artist based on the easel and blank canvas in one corner of the room.
The bed wasn’t a king, but it seemed large enough for a married couple to sleep comfortably.
There is a large mirrored dressing table covered with pictures, makeup and taped to the glass is a green card with a child’s hand print, something that a boy like Mateen’s 3-year-old would bring home from daycare.
The walls did not appear to be covered in anything that would indicate Mateen had become a radical who associated himself with Islamic terror group ISIS.
There was a picture of a waterfall on the wall in the bedroom, a mirror over the couch, family photos in the hallway and many other decorations that probably wouldn’t stand out in any other home.
On the counter of the small kitchen that looked out into the living room, the Univision reporter found Mateen smiling up from the white plastic of his expired Florida firearms license.
One of the most remarkably average rooms belonged to a child, likely Mateen’s son.
It was covered with toys – there was a Spider-Man bicycle and helmet, plush Captain America shield, several stuffed Mickey Mouse dolls, "Star Wars" Storm Trooper curtains and a plastic dinosaur on top of a bookshelf.
A poster from the original "Star Wars" trilogy hung over the head of the bed, and a child’s painting was on the wall next to it.
Standing out from the rest, was an inspirational poster of children jumping that said, “Be someone you would be proud to know.”
About the Author
