The gunman behind the deadliest mass shooting in United States history worked nearly a dozen part-time jobs early in his career.
Omar Mateen, who shot and killed 49 people and injured more than 50 others early Sunday morning at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, detailed his work history in a 2006 petition to change his name from "Omar Mir Seddique" to "Omar Mir Seddique Mateen."
Beginning in 2002, Mateen held an assortment of retail jobs, including Publix, Chick-fil-A and Walgreens, among others.
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But in 2006, he received an associate of science degree in criminal justice technology from Indian River State College, and in October of that year started work as a corrections officer at Martin Correctional Institute, Florida’s sprawling 1,509-bed state prison complex for men.
The following February, state records show, Mateen was also enrolled in a corrections class at Indian River State College. He got a D, according to state records. IRSC officials declined to elaborate on Mateen’s studies beyond his 2006 degree.
The prison job didn’t last long. Just about seven months after starting, in April 2007, records obtained by The Post show he was “administratively dismissed.”
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It’s unclear whether the termination involved misconduct. A spokesman for the Florida Department of Corrections said the agency was “still gathering information” on his work history.
Whatever the reason, it didn’t stop Mateen from getting a Florida state-issued security guard license and a security guard firearms license that same year, and hiring on to global security giant G4S.
Florida’s licensure asks about criminal history, but not whether the applicant was ever investigated for terrorist ties. In any event, Mateen would not become the subject of an FBI inquiry until 2013.
But Mateen clearly wanted to be in law enforcement, not security, and in 2011, he took the state’s basic abilities test to become a law enforcement officer. He failed the exam.
In 2006 on his name-change petition, Mateen listed his occupation as “student.”
He listed his place of employment at the time as GNC in the Treasure Coast Square mall in Jensen Beach, saying he was a part-time employee.
Before that, Mateen said he worked at:
• Hollister at Treasure Coast Square in Jensen Beach, 2006
• Gold’s Gym in St. Lucie West, 2005
• Nutrition World in Fort Pierce, 2005
• Walgreens in Port St. Lucie, 2004
• Chick-fil-A in Jensen Beach, 2004
• Circuit City in Jensen Beach, 2003
• Publix in Palm City, 2002
Mateen did not specify addresses for these locations in the document.
The name change was granted on Sept. 14, 2006, by Circuit Judge Barbara Bronis.
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