Orlando gunman’s wife said she knew he was going to attack Pulse nightclub
Noor Salman issued FBI agents a 12-page handwritten statement just hours after the tragedy
The wife of the Orlando gunman told FBI agents that she knew he was going to attack Pulse nightclub.
Just hours after the deadly attack on the nightclub, which left 49 dead and injured dozens, Noor Salman was taken in for questioning and provided FBI agents with a 12-page handwritten statement detailing knowledge of the attack.
Salman was arrested last year in 2017 on federal charges of providing support to a terrorist and tampering with evidence but pleaded not guilty and claimed to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
In the statement, Salman revealed that Mateen would browse jihad websites almost every day, got frustrated over the treatment of Muslims in the Middle East and spoke about retaliating against Americans.
According to NY Daily News, she wrote that Mateen bought a rifle four days before the attack and spent a significant amount of money on clothes and gifts for her and her son in the days leading up to the tragedy.
Days before the attack, Mateen bought ammunition and frequently visited a shooting range. He also made Salman a beneficiary on his bank account “in case something happened”.
Salman described driving around several destinations including Disney World and Pulse nightclub before the shooting. According to her statement, Mateen asked her: “How upset are people going to be when it gets attacked?”
Two days before the tragedy, Salman recalled how she found Mateen looking at Pulse nightclub’s website before telling her: “This is my target.”
In the statement, Salman recalled how Mateen had a handgun in a holster around his waist and was wearing a backpack with ammunition inside on the night of the attack.
She wrote: “I knew when he left the house he was going to Orlando to attack the Pulse nightclub.”
Salman’s attorneys have been fighting against the use of the statement in court and have claimed that she was in custody and had not been read her Miranda rights. However, prosecutors have said she was not under arrest and that her statement was voluntary.