Noor Salman, the wife of the man who killed 49 people at Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016, has reportedly been arrested in connection with the mass shooting. Salman was arrested by FBI agents at a residence outside of San Francisco on Monday, the New York Timesreported.
When investigators spoke with Salman following the Orlando attack in June of last year, they reportedly concluded that she was "not being truthful" in her statements. In an interview with the the Times' Adam Goldman in November, Salman said she was "unaware of everything." Salman, according to the Times' source, has now been charged with obstruction. She is expected to make a federal court appearance in San Francisco on Tuesday.
Salman's husband, Omar Mateen, reportedly exchanged text messages with her "during the shooting," according toCBS News. Law enforcement officials previously told CBS' Jeff Pegues that surveillance footage showed Salman purchasing ammunition with Mateen. Additionally, Salman was accused of driving with Mateen to "case the club" prior to the shooting. Mateen, whose attack left 49 people dead and another 53 wounded, was ultimately killed during a standoff with police.
During a trip to Orlando to pay his respects to the victims and their families, President Barack Obama made note of the continued need for gun law reform. "This debate needs to change," Obama said at the time. "It's outgrown the old political stalemates. The notion that the answer to this tragedy would be to make sure that more people in a nightclub are similarly armed to the killer defies common sense. Those who defend the easy accessibility of assault weapons should meet these families and explain why that makes sense."
