Seddique Mateen was standing in a crowd behind Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, during a campaign event Monday night, August 8, 2016, in Kissimmee, south of Orlando.
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As Clinton offered her condolences to the victims and families of the shooting, Seddique Mateen could be seen in the crowd behind her.
“The rally was a 3,000-person, open-door event for the public”, a Clinton campaign official said. “I love United States, and I’ve been living here for long time”, he said.
The 29-year-old, who pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State during a call with police dispatchers amid a three-hour standoff, died in a hail of gunfire after police stormed the venue.
Mateen also said he’s been cooperating with the investigation into the shooting.
The Clinton campaign responded quickly, noting that the campaign did not invite Mateen to the open rally.
Mrs Clinton’s campaign spokesman Nick Merrill clarified the situation and said: “She disagrees with his views and disavows his support”.
You can say that again … Clinton holds a 53-to-40 percent lead among women; Trump holds a 51-to-39 percent lead among men.
Mateen did not initially want to answer any questions; however, NewsChannel5 ran into Mateen later on in the night at a rest stop outside of West Palm Beach. Mateen is recognizable, in part, because he did so many interviews after the nightclub attack.
“I just have to tell you how grateful I am for the leadership and the people of Orlando and Central Florida for your love and compassion”.
After the rally, news channel WPTV spoke to Mr Mateen, who said he was a member of the Democrat party and supported Ms Clinton over Republican rival Donald Trump.
Clinton’s campaign was apparently unaware of Mateen’s presence at the rally, much less the 25 minutes he spent sharing a frame with the nominee. As for his son’s actions, he said he wishes his son had joined the Army and fought ISIS.
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The medical examiner’s office in Orange County Tuesday announced the results of the autopsies of the 49 people killed by Omar Mateen: they received a total of 200 balls.
