ORLANDO, Fla. – Minutes after Noor Salman, the widow of Pulse gunman Omar Mateen, was found not guilty of helping her husband during a terrorist attack at an Orlando nightclub, her family addressed the media.
Family spokeswoman Susan Clary apologized to the Pulse victims in her opening line:
"On this Good Friday, the (Salman) family really wants to very first say, 'We are very sorry for the family members and friends of the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting and the survivors.'
"Really, that is the most thing they want you to know.
"We also want to thank the amazing criminal defense team. They weren't doing this as a job, they were really doing this because they believed in (her) innocence.
"Thank you to Judge Byron for being fair. He must have believed, and clearly he was right. We especially want to thank the jurors.
"We're so grateful for their verdict today. Noor can go home to her son, Zack. We want to people to know she is not guilty. There is no question.
"The family always thought she was (the) first victim of Omar."
Noor Salman's uncle, Al Salman, then took the podium:
"It's Good Friday for everybody. I want to thank the judge. We are looking forward to taking my niece. You are going to go back to your son, and that's all she wants. That's the best moment for me.
"She is innocent. I told you so.
"I believe in justice. We have a good justice here."
Lastly, Noor Salman's cousin, Susan Adieh, addressed the media:
"No matter what's going to happen, guilty or not, (the Pulse victims) are not coming back.
"(Noor) has been innocent from day one."
As the verdict was being read by the jury foreman, Noor Salman's hands were visibly shaking. Her family gasped at the not guilty verdict and all of them began sobbing and holding each other.
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