Topic: Terrorism Investigation

FBI Director James Comey addressed the public regarding the investigation into the Orlando shooter, using a scripted metaphor about finding needles in a nationwide haystack. Comey defended the Bureau's prior work while acknowledging the difficulty of identifying which "pieces of hay" might eventually become "needles." He urged Americans to remain aware of their surroundings without succumbing to disabling fear.

The FBI first became aware of Omar Mateen in May 2013 after he made inflammatory statements to co-workers while working as a contract security guard. Despite a 10-month preliminary investigation involving confidential sources, the case was closed after Mateen claimed his comments were a reaction to workplace discrimination. Mateen also appeared briefly in a documentary about the BP oil spill during his time as a security guard.