The ex-wife of the man authorities said is responsible for the Orlando mass murders told reporters in a video she is "in shock." Watch video
The woman who was once married to the man authorities say killed 50 people and injured 53 more in night club in Orlando, Fla. early Sunday morning, told reporters she is "devastated" by what has happened.
Sitora Yusufiy, who formerly lived in New Jersey but now lives in Boulder, Colo., said when she learned on Sunday from her parents that authorities attributed the mass murder to her ex-husband, Omar Mateen, "it shook me." The video of the interview is on YouTube.
"To be affiliated with someone who could do something like this," Yusufiy said. "It shook me. It shook me. It is going to take some time to process this."
In an interview with reporters by her home, accompanied by her fiance, Yusufiy, said she is, "deeply hurt and heartbroken for the families who are suffering."
Yusufiy told the reporters that 29-year-old Mateen, who she moved from New Jersey to Florida to marry in 2009, began to physically abuse her only a few months into their marriage and kept her hostage from her own family.
She said her parents knew what was going on and flew down to Florida to rescue her. The couple formally divorced in 2011, according to Florida court records.
Yusufiy lived in Edison and Lawrenceville before moving to Florida.
In the recorded interview, Yusufiy said she believed Mateen was bi-polar, but she didn't know if he was ever diagnosed.
She said what authorities said Mateen did "is the opposite of what I am about. I am for humanity to be in harmony. For peace, for everyone to get along."
Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.