Noor Salman Charged in Pulse Nightclub Massacre Cover-Up

Orlando, Florida — Noor Salman, 30, the wife of Pulse Nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, has been indicted on federal charges of aiding and abetting material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and obstruction of justice. According to the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Salman allegedly helped Mateen provide personnel and services to the designated foreign terrorist organization in the weeks leading up to the June 12, 2016 massacre that left 49 dead and dozens wounded.

The indictment alleges that from at least the end of April 2016 through the day of the attack, Salman knowingly supported Mateen’s efforts to provide material support to ISIL. Prosecutors claim the support contributed directly to the Pulse Nightclub assault, where Mateen opened fire in a targeted attack on the LGBTQ+ community. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if Salman is convicted on all counts.

On the day of the attack, June 12, 2016, Salman is accused of obstructing justice by misleading Fort Pierce Police Department officers and FBI special agents during questioning. Authorities say she engaged in conduct designed to prevent law enforcement from obtaining critical information about the attack, including her husband’s intentions and prior communications.

Salman was arrested in northern California on January 16, 2017, and appeared in federal court in Oakland the same day. She has been held without bond pending a status hearing scheduled for January 18, 2017. Federal prosecutors argue she poses a significant flight risk and potential threat to the investigation.

This case was investigated by a coalition of federal and local agencies, including the FBI, Orlando Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Pierce Police Department, Saint Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Support also came from IRS Criminal Investigation, the DEA, ATF, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, and Sebastian Police Department.

Prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara C. Sweeney, James D. Mandolfo, and Roger B. Handberg, along with Trial Attorney Kevin C. Nunnally from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The Justice Department emphasized that an indictment is not a conviction—Salman is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.