Orlando police officers seen outside of Pulse nightclub after a fatal shooting and hostage situation on June 12, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. (AFP Photo)
Highlights
- Omar Mateen, 29-year-old, was reportedly behind the Orlando shooting
- Omar's father said he was motivated by hatred of gays, not by religion
- 50 were killed, 53 injured in the Orlando bar shooting
The father of the suspected gunman in today's Orlando mass shooting said he believed his son was motivated by hatred of gays -- not by his Muslim religion.
"This had nothing to do with religion," Mir Seddique told NBC News. He said his son, Omar Mateen, recently lashed out in his presence after witnessing a gay couple embracing in downtown Miami, and suggested the incident may have triggered the atrocity.
"He saw two men kissing each other in front of his wife and kid and he got very angry," Seddique told the network.
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