Several large Spanish-language media outlets have published a completely false report that Omar Mateen texted his wife to tell her he carried out the Orlando shootings because he was gay.
The story originated on ABCNews.com.co, a site intended to spoof the real ABC News website. Its hoax story featured a fake text message from Mateen that supposedly had been released by the FBI.
ABCNews.com.co publishes only fake news stories. In the past it scored hits with hoaxes such as a claim that Bill Murray would be running for U.S. president, and a story about Donald Trump naming Sheriff Joe Arpaio as his running mate.