The widow of Pulse nightclub gunman Omar Mateen has been found not guilty of charges that she helped him plan the 2016 massacre that left 49 dead. Noor Salman had been charged with obstruction and providing material support to a terrorist organization, and she faced life in prison if convicted. The jury, however, cleared her on all charges, per the AP. Jurors deliberated over three days before reaching their verdict, asking several questions about the charges and closely examining the statement she made to the FBI in the hours after the attack.
Prosecutors said Salman and her husband scouted out potential targets together—including Disney World's shopping and entertainment complex—and she knew he was buying ammunition for his AR-15 in preparation for a jihadi attack. She knew that he had a sick fascination with violent jihadi videos and an affinity for Islamic State group websites and gave him a "green light to commit terrorism," prosecutors said. Defense attorneys described Salman as an easily manipulated woman with a low IQ. They said Salman, who was born in California to Palestinian parents, was abused by her husband, who cheated on her with other women and concealed much of his life from her. (Mateen texted her from the nightclub.)
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