Summary: The widow of Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen has been charged with supporting her husband in his attack, bringing with it a possibility of life in prison.
The charges against Noor Salman have been upgraded since yesterday. The federal indictment was unsealed today alleging that Salman “did knowingly aid and abet” Omar Mateen in his attack against an Orlando nightclub. She is still charged with obstruction of justice. Salman now faces life in prison for her role in her husband’s terror plans where she deliberately helped him support the Islamic State terror group.
Prosecutors contend that even though Salman did not pull the trigger, her involvement is just as severe. Director of the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies John Malcolm explains, “If you give somebody a gun knowing that they are going to use it to rob a bank, in the eyes of the law you are just as guilty as the bank robber.”
Salman stood before the judge, pledging her innocence. Her attorney Linda Moreno claims she “had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night.” Her uncle, Al, also stresses her innocence saying, “I raised her, I know. I know she’s innocent.”
However the evidence paints a slightly different picture. Authorities claim she drove Mateen to the nightclub at least once before the attack on June 12 and also shopped with him at Walmart where he purchased the bullets used in the attack. Mateen walked into the gay nightclub, Pulse, in Orlando and starting shooting. Forty-nine people were killed and another 53 were injured in the attack.
Salman told the New York Times in November, “I was unaware of everything. I don’t condone what he has done. I am very sorry for what has happened. He has hurt a lot of people.”
To learn more about the history in the case against Salman, read these articles:
- Wife of Orlando Club Shooter Arrested
- Orlando Shooter Responsible for Biggest Mass Shooting in U.S. History
- Orlando Families Claim Google, Twitter, Facebook Profit from ISIS
Photo: flickr.com