Mateen Sent “I love you text during massacre”

More information has emerged about Mateen's erratic life and career before the Orlando massacre.

At school he was suspended for a total of 48 days between August 2000 and December 2002, had difficulty in almost every grade and while in his early years was reported to have been abusive, rude, aggressive and "lacked remorse".

Orlando killer Omar Mateen texted his wife to say "I love you, babe" during his rampage at a gay nightclub that left 49 people dead, according to US media reports.

CBS News said it had spoken to a police source who told them the 29-year-old and his wife Noor Salman communicated during the attack at Pulse on Sunday.

NBC News, citing someone close to Salman, reported that she received a call from Mateen's mother on the night of the shootings, asking if she knew where her husband was.

The source said Salman then texted her husband asking "Where are you?" at around 2.30am, midway through his rampage.

Mateen is said to have responded "Do you see what's happening?" and when Salman answered "no?"  Mateen sent a text saying "I love you, babe".

NBC said she told investigators she tried to call her husband but failed to get through.

She was only told about the attack after officers raided the home she shared in Port St Lucie with Mateen, a US citizen of Afghan parentage. 

Officials believe she had some prior knowledge of the attack and is likely to face charges, CBS said.

Another official told the station Mateen had been active on Facebook before and during the attack.

He is understood to have paused amid the carnage and searched online for "Pulse Orlando" and "shooting". 

Earlier he had posted his "Alliance to (Islamic State leader) Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi".

An FBI source told Fox News Mateen made a total of 16 phone calls from inside the club, some to 911, others to media outlets.