A reporter of the Palm Beach-based NBC affiliate station ran into Mateen by chance after the rally and was able to ask him why he was at the Democratic rally.
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He called Clinton “good for [the] United States versus Donald Trump”.
Seddique Mateen shows WPTV Channel 5 his support for Hillary Clinton and gun control.
The Clinton campaign has issued a short statement stating that Mateen was not invited to the Kissimmee event, despite his proximity to the candidate. NBC affiliate WPTV identified one attendee as Seddique Mateen, the father of Omar Mateen, who was killed in a shootout with police after carrying out the deadliest mass shooting in modern us history.
Mateen said he was invited to attend the rally “by the Democratic Party”. He didn’t indicate whether the Clinton campaign was aware of his attendance, saying “Why should they be surprised?”
The FBI investigated Mateen twice between 2013 and 2014, but both cases were closed without the agency taking action. But he did say he and his family have been cooperating with the federal investigation of the shooting.
As Clinton spoke, Seddique Mateen was seen sitting behind her, wearing a red hat.
In an interview with WPTV, Mateen shrugged off the suggestion that many people would be surprised by his presence at the event.
In an interview after the rally with local television station WPTV, Seddique Mateen said he is supporting Clinton for president and chose to attend the event as a member of the Democratic Party. Good for national security.
When the Clinton campaign rally was over, Mateen was asked, “What were you thinking about when she was talking about the Orlando incident?”
“That would be much better”, he told WPTV.
He said, “It’s a Democratic Party so everybody can join”.
The autopsies do not indicate if any of the victims were accidentally shot by law enforcement on June 12, the Orlando Sentinel reported, or if anyone died as police negotiated with Mateen for three hours.
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The campaign rally was held in the Osceola Heritage Park and was open to the public, with a capacity of 3000 people.
