Wife of Orlando shooter ‘knew of attack and could soon be charged’

The wife of the gunman who killed 49 people at an Orlando gay nightclub knew of his plans for the attack and could be charged in connection with the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Omar Mateen’s wife, Noor Salman, is likely to be investigated by a federal grand jury, investigators said. “It appears she had some knowledge of what was going on,” said U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate intelligence committee. She is thought to have gone with him to buy ammunition and he may have called her from the Pulse nightclub where he went on his murderous rampage on Sunday.

She definitely is, I guess you would say, a person of interest right now and appears to be cooperating and can provide us with some important information.

Senator Angus King

Mateen, 29, who was shot dead by police after a three-hour stand-off at the Pulse club early on Sunday, called 911 during his shooting spree to profess allegiance to various militant Islamist groups. Federal investigators have said he was likely self-radicalised and there was no evidence that he received any instructions or aid from outside groups such as Islamic State. His wife has reportedly told federal agents she tried to talk her husband out of carrying out the attack. But she also told the FBI she once drove him to the Pulse nightclub because he wanted to scope it out. The development came as president Barack Obama denounced Donald Trump for his proposed ban on Muslims entering the U.S.

He appears to have been an angry, disturbed, unstable young man who became radicalized.

President Barack Obama

Mateen wife