US Jury Acquits Orlando Nightclub Shooter's Widow

The widow of the man who shot dead 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida nearly two years ago was acquitted Friday of aiding and abetting her husband.

Miami, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Mar, 2018 ) :The widow of the man who shot dead 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida nearly two years ago was acquitted Friday of aiding and abetting her husband.

A few hours later, Noor Salman, 31, was freed from detention with her head down and clutching the hand of a lawyer, Fritz Scheller. "It's a great day for Miss Salman, who just needs some time to be with her family right now," he said.

The jury had been deliberating since Wednesday. Another of Salman's lawyers, Linda Moreno, praised jurors for not making her client Omar Mateen's "last victim." Salman, 31, faced life in prison on charges of lying to investigators and helping Mateen, who also injured at least 68 when he opened fire at the club on June 12, 2016.

Mateen, 29, who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group in a 911 call during the attack, was killed in a shootout when police stormed the building. Responding to the verdict, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said he was "disappointed in the outcome." "This has been an emotional event for our community and many may feel that justice has not prevailed; however, the system of justice has spoken," he said in a statement.

Among the discontented was a group of protesters who gathered outside Pulse to protest the verdict. One, Luis Morales, told CBS the jury's decision was a "slap in the face of the families and the victims." - 'Continue the healing' - Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said on Twitter that he hoped the trial's conclusion "can help our community continue the healing process.

" Orlando police chief John Mina expressed his trust in the justice system, and said he was "grateful for the jury's hard work and thoughtful deliberation." During the trial, which began March 3, the defense argued that Salman had a low IQ, a childish nature and was dominated by her abusive husband.

It also contended that Salman's confession to the FBI that she knew Mateen was going to attack the club came under duress during an interrogation lasting 16 hours. "Why would Omar Mateen confide in Noor, a woman he clearly had no respect for?" Moreno asked, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

"She was not his peer, she was not his partner, and she was not his confidante." It was also revealed in court that Mateen initially planned to attack Disney World, one of Orlando's biggest attractions, by hiding his gun in a baby stroller, but was put off by the heavy police presence.

Defense lawyers, in documents filed with the court over the weekend, called for a mistrial in Salman's case following the revelation that her father-in-law Seddique Mateen had served as an FBI informant.

But Judge Paul Byron rejected the request on Monday, the Orlando Sentinel newspaper reported. Seddique Mateen, originally from Afghanistan, was on the government's initial witness list but was finally not called to testify.