Noor Salman, Pulse shooter's wife, denied pretrial release

Family describes Salman as 'child-like,' 'simple'

The wife of the Pulse nightclub shooter, Noor Salman, was denied pretrial release by a California judge Wednesday morning during a hearing where her lawyers asked for their client to be released from custody.

A federal judge in Oakland denied Salman's bond during the 12:30 p.m. hearing.

Instead, the judge ordered a mental health evaluation of Salman and said he would consider her request for release after the evaluation is complete, until then 31-year-old mother will remain in jail.

Federal prosecutors in California for the first time Wednesday divulged details of the charges against Salman.

Prosecutors said she saw her husband Omar Mateen leave their Fort Pierce, Florida, home with a gun and backpack full of ammunition on the night of the attack.

Salman's lawyer, Charles Swift, submitted declarations from a domestic violence expert, a high school math teacher, friends and family on Salman’s behalf requesting her release from jail.

Salman's mother said in her declaration statement that she will put up her California home as bail for her daughter.

Salman was arrested in January in California on federal charges that include obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting her husband's material support to ISIS. Authorities believe Salman acted of her own free will and knowingly took steps to obstruct the investigation, according to a law enforcement official.

Salman plead not guilty to the federal charges on Jan. 17.

According to the motion filed for Salman’s release, Omar Mateen was abusive to his wife while she was pregnant with their son.

Salman's family and friends described her as “childlike" and “obedient,” according to the documents.

[Read more here: What we know about Pulse nightclub shooter's widow, Noor Salman I Timeline of Orlando nightclub shooting I Evidence photos from inside Pulse nightclub released

On the night of June 12, while Mateen was in Orlando carrying out the attack at the nightclub, killing 49 people and injuring more than 50 others, Salman’s lawyer said his client was at home asleep and did not know where her husband was.

The defense also plans to address the allegations that Salman was with Mateen when he purchased ammunition for the attack and drove by Pulse nightclub with her husband on a “scouting trip.”

Salman went to Walmart with Mateen under the impression that they were getting keys made for their condo and while she was picking out a toy with her son Mateen went to purchase the ammunition, according to the defense.

When Salman asked Mateen why he was buying the ammunition he told her it was needed for job training, according to the motion.

The documents also reveal that Salman was taken to Mississippi by her aunt before moving to Rodeo, California, to be with her mother after the shooting, notifying the FBI of her whereabouts each time she traveled.

Swift sited the recent United States vs. Joseph Meek case as precedent for Salman's release. Meek is accused of knowing Dylan Roof planned to carry out the attack on a predominately black church in Charleston, killing nine people. Meek was released on bail, according to the documents.

Salman’s defense team asked the judge to release Salman to her mother’s custody with GPS monitoring.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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