Hillary Clinton's campaign distances itself from the Orlando shooter's father who attended her rally

Hillary Clinton's campaign is making it clear that she does not want support from the father of the gunman who massacred 49 people in Orlando.

Seddique Mateen was seen on camera, sitting behind Clinton at a campaign rally in Kissimmee, Florida on Tuesday.

Clinton's press secretary, Nick Merrill, later distanced the campaign from Mateen, whose son, Omar, committed the worst mass shooting in US history in June.

"The rally was a 3,000-person, open-door event for the public," Merrill said in a statement, according to ABC News. "This individual wasn't invited as a guest and the campaign was unaware of his attendance until after the event."

Merrill followed up that statement with another, saying Clinton "disagrees with [Mateen's] views and disavows his support."

Mateen has a history of making controversial statements, including an assertion that the Orlando shooting his son perpetrated was influenced by homophobia.

"God created man for woman," Mateen said on Facebook days after the massacre.