Wife of Pulse nightclub killer arrested by FBI

The wife of Pulse nightclub killer Omar Mateen has been arrested in California.

Noor Salman was arrested by the FBI on Monday and has been charged with aiding and abetting and obstruction of justice, CNN reports. News of the arrest was first reported by The New York Times.

Officials say Salman knowingly took steps to obstruct the police investigation into the massacre, and that her claims she was coerced due to her husband’s abusive behaviour do not stand up.

49 people were killed in the attack on Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, which saw 29-year-old Florida resident Omar Mateen enter the LGBT venue in the early hours of June 12 and open fire on party-goers.

Mateen was killed following a shootout with police at the venue, having pledged allegiance to Islamic terror organisation ISIS during the massacre.

The attack at Pulse was the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, and deadliest act of violence against LGBT people in the history of the United States.

Noor Salman, who married Mateen in 2011 and was originally considered a “person of interest” in the days following the attack, is set to set to to appear in court in Oakland, California, on Tuesday.

Her lawyer insists she had no advance knowledge of what her husband was planning and should not have been charged.

“Noor Salman had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night,” attorney Linda Moreno said in a statement.

“Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands. We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person.”

If you would like to read more about the 49 people who lost their lives at Pulse, you can do so here.

In This Article: