Via WaPo:
The gunman who carried out a shooting rampage in Orlando on Sunday exchanged text messages with his wife on the day of the attack, according to a U.S. law enforcement official, communications that are being looked at as part of a sprawling investigation scrutinizing the gunman as well as his digital footprint.
The messages exchanged with his wife were among several ways he communicated with the outside world on the day he opened fire inside Pulse, a gay nightclub, a rampage that ultimately left 49 people dead and dozens more injured.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (D) said Friday morning that he was not sure about what was discussed in the text messages. CNN, which first reported the messages, said the gunman had texted his wife about two hours after the gunfire asking if she had seen the news and that at one point, she texted him that she loved him.
Omar Mateen, the 29-year-old gunman, posted on Facebook about the Islamic State on the day of the attack, according to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
In a letter to Facebook seeking its help, Johnson wrote that Mateen had pledged allegiance to the group’s leader, claiming that the shooting was “vengeance” for airstrikes and vowed that further attacks would follow. Facebook is cooperating with the FBI, according to a person familiar with the investigation.
Johnson’s letter also said that Mateen had used Facebook to search for and post information both before and during the attack, which began with a barrage of gunfire at 2 a.m. on Sunday. After that first burst of gunfire, Mateen held hostages in the building until police stormed the club at 5 a.m. and killed him in a shootout.