ORLANDO,Florida, US, 14 Jun - (ANA) - The man behind the worst mass shooting in recent US history visited the gay nightclub where he carried out the massacre several times, witnesses say. Chris Callen, a performer at Pulse in Orlando, Florida, told the New York Daily News that Omar Mateen had visited the venue over the past three years. Investigators are pursuing the reports, according to US media. Mateen opened fire in the packed club early on Sunday, leaving 49 people dead and dozens wounded. Police shot the 29-year-old dead after he barricaded himself in a bathroom, taking several people hostage. "I've seen him a couple of times at Pulse, a couple of other people that I've spoken with, including an-ex security guard, have actually witnessed this guy at Pulse many times before," said Chris Callen. In one incident, Mr Callen said Mateen had pulled a knife on a friend after being angered by a religious joke. But Mr Callen also characterised Mateen as a "nice guy", adding: "Maybe he got radicalised and hated who he was?" Ty Smith told the Orlando Sentinel: "Sometimes he would go over in the corner and sit and drink by himself, and other times he would get so drunk he was loud and belligerent." Another man, Kevin West, told the Washington Post he he had known Mateen through the dating app Jack'd and had recognised him as he walked into Pulse in the early hours of Sunday. "I remember details," said Mr West. "I never forget a face." While there has been no official comment from the authorities on the claims, CNN and NBC said investigators were examining them.(ANA)

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