The widow of the Orlando nightclub gunman has been charged with helping her husband in the months leading up to the June massacre that left 49 people dead, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday.
Noor Salman, 30, is due in federal court in Oakland on Tuesday, following her arrest a day earlier on the Florida charges.
The two-count indictment accuses her of knowingly aiding and abetting her husband, Omar Mateen, in providing material support and resources to the Islamic State group between April and June of last year. It also says she knowingly misled police and the FBI after the June 12, 2016, attack at the Pulse nightclub. The charging document does not give additional details on Salman's actions.
Salman is from the San Francisco Bay Area, and in the aftermath of the Orlando attack that also left her husband dead, she returned here with their son, whose name she has since sought to change. She was repeatedly questioned by FBI investigators over whether she had any knowledge of her husband's plans.
Her attorney Linda Moreno said after her arrest that she "had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night."
Salman told The New York Times in an interview published in November that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but was "unaware of everything" regarding his intent to shoot up the club. Salman also said he had physically abused her, which her attorney reiterated Monday.
"Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands," Moreno said. "We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person."
The San Francisco office of the FBI said Salman was taken into custody Monday morning in Rodeo, which is the small Bay Area community where she grew up and where her family lives. She is being held about 30 miles away at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Previously, jail records stated that she had been arrested in Dublin. The reason for the discrepancy wasn't clear.
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a Monday interview with MSNBC that "from the beginning, we were going to look at every aspect of this, of every aspect of this shooter's life to determine not just why did he take these actions — but who else knew about them? Was anyone else involved?"
Salman met Mateen online and the two married in 2011.
They lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the shooting.
Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call during the three-hour standoff that ended in his death. Forty nine patrons were killed and another 53 were hospitalized.
"Nothing can erase the pain we all feel about the senseless and brutal murders of 49 of our neighbors, friends, family members and loved ones," Orlando Police Chief John Mina said Monday. "But today, there is some relief in knowing that someone will be held accountable for that horrific crime."
Governor Scott has released the following statement regarding the arrest:
“I want to thank the hard working law enforcement officers from the local, state and federal levels for their continued dedication to help find answers to this horrific terrorist attack that killed 49 innocent people. I hope today’s news provides some comfort to the families who are mourning their loved ones."
Orlando Chief of Police also commented on the arrest:
OPD @ChiefJohnMina Statement on @FBI arrest of wife of #Pulse shooter. pic.twitter.com/auFSbQY1lL
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) January 16, 2017
Salman’s husband, Omar Mateen, was killed by police during the attack at the Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016.
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