VIDEO: Innocent kiss which sparked America's deadliest shooting

A GAY kiss provoked Orlando shooter Omar Mateen into carrying out America's deadliest lone-wolf shooting.

By Harry Kemble

The gunman's father Mir Seddique made the shock claim at a press conference today – hours after his 29-year-old son had shot dead 50 people in Pulse nightclub – popular with the LGBT community – in Orange Avenue, Orlando.

Mateen exchanged fire with an off-duty police officer before entering the night spot which was putting on a Latin night at around 2am (local time).

Once inside he is said to have barricaded himself in a room with hostages.

Now his dad has apologised for his son and said he did not think the shocking attack was religiously motivated.

He said his New York-born son – who was married – had been angry after seeing two men kiss two months ago in downtown Miami.

"We are saying we are apologising for the whole incident. We weren't aware of any action he is taking. We are in shock like the whole country," Mr Seddique said.

APOLOGY: Mir Seddique has said gay kiss was his son's motive for the shooting

HEARTACHE: Orlando comes to terms with the shooting

Mateen was killed in a shootout with armed officers at around 5am on Sunday. 

He was armed with an assault-type rifle, a handgun and some sort of "suspicious device", police said. 

Orlando's mayor has declared a state of emergency in the city as people come to terms with the shooting.

Clubbers who went to Pulse have been urged to come forward and speak with police.

The massacare came just a day after a psycho fan shot dead The Voice star Christina Grimmie after travelling to Orlando with two handguns and a knife. 

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said: "This is an incident, as I see it, that we certainly classify as domestic terror incident."

The club was opened in 2004 and worked closely with the LGBT community.