Bail Set For Orlando Shooter’s Wife, Noor Salman

ORLANDO, FL — A California federal judge’s Wednesday decision to release Noor Salman on $500,000 bond earned immediate reaction from Orlando Police Chief John Mina. Salman, 31, is accused of aiding and abetting her husband, Omar Mateen, in the deadly Pulse nightclub shooting that left 49 people dead and more than two dozen injured last June.

Mina took to his agency’s Twitter account Wednesday to express his disappointment in the judge’s decision.

“Nothing can erase the pain we all feel about the senseless and brutal murders of 49 of our neighbors, friends, family members and loved ones,” Mina said. “But I have full faith that she will ultimately be brought to justice and I remain grateful to federal authorities, who worked tirelessly on this case for months to see that some measure of justice be served in this act of terror that has affected our community so deeply.”

Salman was arrested in the San Francisco area in January after a two-count indictment was handed down by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

The indictment states that Salman did knowingly aid and abet Mateen's attempted provision of "material support and resources," including personnel and resources, to ISIS between April and June of 2016. According to the indictment, Salman also knowingly engaged in misleading conduct toward law enforcement "on or about June 12" with the intention to "hinder, delay and prevent communication" to federal law enforcement agencies information relating to the attack at Pulse night club.

Salman was arrested by the FBI in January at her home in San Francisco. She has pleaded not guilty on the charges.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu set Salman’s bail on Wednesday, saying she wasn’t a flight risk or danger to the public, the Orlando Sentinel reported. No connections between Salman and the Islamic State have been found, the paper noted. As part of her release agreement, Salman will have to wear an ankle monitor and will live with her uncle in Northern California.

A trial date has yet to be announced.

Mateen pledged allegiance to multiple terror organizations before walking into the Pulse, a popular gay nightclub, and opening fire on a near-capacity crowd in the early morning hours of June 12, 2016. He killed 49 people and wounded more than 50 others before he was shot and killed by police. The massacre, the worst mass shooting in modern American history, has been classified as an act of terror by federal authorities.

Patch's Feroze Dhanoa contributed to this story.

Image via the Orlando Police Department