Pulse gunman's widow pleads not guilty to 2 federal charges

ORLANDO, Fla. — The widow of the gunman in the June 12 Pulse nightclub attack pleaded not guilty Wednesday to two federal charges during a hearing in California.

Salman's husband, Omar Mateen, was the gunman in the Orlando Pulse nightclub attack that left 49 people dead and dozens injured.

Photos: Courtroom sketches of Noor Salman

Salman, 30, is charged with obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting the attempted provision of material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

A detention hearing was set for two weeks from Wednesday.

Salman’s unofficial attorney said there will be significant evidence presented on Feb. 1, but he did not elaborate.

Salman’s uncle said he still believes his niece is innocent and that she was a victim of Mateen’s abuse.

In court, Salman said nothing but she blew a kiss to her uncle as she left the room.

Read: Who is Noor (Salman) Mateen?

Her public defender stood at her side, but attorney Charles Swift will eventually represent Salman.

Swift is in the process of filing paperwork to represent Salman, but in the meantime, she was expected to have a pretrial interview with Swift at her side.

What was said in the interview will be confidential.

An indictment filed on Jan. 12 against Salman was unsealed in California federal court Tuesday.

The indictment alleges that she "did knowingly aid and abet" her husband's attempt to give "material support" to terrorist organizations, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina was not surprised that Salman had been charged.

"We knew, suspected, that she had deep involvement in this and would be arrested at some point," he said.

Speaking outside the federal courthouse Tuesday, Salman's uncle, Al Salman, said he raised Noor Salman and knew she could never be involved in something like the attack at Pulse.

"She is an innocent, simple person," he said. "She will not hurt a fly."

It was only after Mateen opened fire at the nightclub in the early hours of June 12 that Noor Salman had any idea he was planning the attack, her uncle said.

"She called him, called him or texted him, he told her, 'Didn't you know what happened?' She told him, 'No.'" Al Salman said. "He said, 'I love you baby,' and hung up."

In a phone call to 911 as the attack was ongoing, Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The FBI arrested Salman Monday at her parent’s home in California, where she was living with her 6-year-old son.

Photos: Home where Salman was arrested

While there, federal agents said they confronted her with video of her and Mateen purchasing ammunition.

Sources told Channel 9 that Mateen left the home with a bag of guns while Salman begged him not to go.

Salman was booked into the Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County without bail. She will be transferred from Northern California to the Middle District of Florida, the FBI said.

Salman is of Palestinian origin. She moved to the U.S. from Jordan in August 2006.

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