Noor Salman, the widow of the gunman who killed 49 people at Pulse nightclub, made her first court appearance Wednesday in Orlando and entered a plea of not guilty.
Salman is charged with aiding and abetting her husband, Omar Mateen. Prosecutors allege she knew about her husband’s plans to attack the gay club and about his allegiance to the Islamic State but did nothing to stop him.
She’s also charged with obstruction of justice by intentionally misleading FBI agents when they questioned her on June 12, the day of the mass shooting.
Mateen opened fire inside the club about 2 a.m. — closing time — killing 49 people and injuring at least 68 others.
He was killed when a SWAT team raided the building about 5 a.m.
Wednesday’s hearing was Salman’s arraignment, when a defendant formally enters a plea.
She sat next to defense attorney Fritz Scheller, her shoulders slightly slouched, with her hands and feet chained.
Before the hearing started, she swiveled from side to side in her chair. She did not speak, but Scheller entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf.
The hearing lasted less than five minutes, and there was no discussion of evidence. In the past, Salman’s attorneys have argued she didn’t know the extent of Mateen’s plans and has no connection to the Islamic State.
Afterward, Scheller told reporters: “It’s going to be a long road. She’s fine.”
Salman was indicted by an Orlando federal grand jury on Jan. 12 and was arrested in California, where she was living. At the time of the shooting, she and Mateen lived in Fort Pierce.
U.S. Magistrate Karla Spaulding, who presided over the hearing, set a tentative trial date of June 5.
The case will be handled by U.S. District Judge Paul Byron, who last month overruled a California federal magistrate and ordered Salman held without bond.
rstutzman@orlandosentinel.com or 407-650-6394
