Seated behind Clinton was none other than Seddique Mateen, father of the Orlando nightclub terrorist, Omar Mateen.
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Early in her remarks on Monday, Mrs Clinton touched on the Orlando shooting, during which Mr Mateen’s son, Omar Mateen, killed 49 people at Pulse, a gay nightclub.
Mateen himself seemed to confirm the campaign line that his presence was a coincidence, telling West Palm Beach’s NBC affiliate WPTV that he attended the rally on his own accord.
In an interview after the rally, Mateen told reporters that “Hillary Clinton is good for United States”.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton pauses while speaking at a rally at the Coliseum in St. Petersburg, Fla., Monday, Aug. 8, 2016.
He was then asked if people should be surprised to see him a public event being held so close to the location of the Orlando shooting. Mateen also said that he’s a Democrat, he loves the United States, and he’s been living here a long time.
Seddique is the father of Omar Mateen, the gunman involved in the massacre at the gay nightclub, which killed 49 people.
“The first thing I want to say is that club should have had good security”, the Afghani immigrant told Sky News.
His son Omar Mateen, 29, killed 49 people and wounded dozens of others in the worst mass shooting in recent USA history.
Grinning as Hillary Clinton pays tribute those gunned down in the Orlando nightclub attack, the killer’s father sits just a few feet away during a Democratic rally. “I don’t know what caused him to shoot last night”.
Mateen told WPTV he wished his son “joined the Army and fought ISIS”.
But when asked if he was personally invited or received a chain email invite, he said, “I’m a member, so as a member I get the invitation, so it’s nothing particular about it”.
“It’s a Democratic Party, so everybody can join”, he said.
Mateen is known for his controversial views on Afghan politics and homosexuality.
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Following the event, the Clinton campaign released a statement regarding Mateen’s presence. “No one owns them & they are Durand Line Destroyer”.
