--- description: The wife of the gunman behind the Orlando shooting that left 49 people dead could face charges, according to multiple media reports. title: Orlando Shooter's Wife Could Face Charges, Reports Say image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte567b5977fba657e/698897f0ab6d7732906aa14b/gettyimages-540068694.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Orlando Shooter's Wife Could Face Criminal Charges, Reports Say by [Nash Jenkins](/author/p-nash-jenkins/) ## Nash Jenkins Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 15, 2016 9:59 AM CUT  A youth activist lights candles as people gather for a vigil in solidarity with the victims of the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 14, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. A youth activist lights candles as people gather for a vigil in solidarity with the victims of the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 14, 2016 in Manila, Philippines.Gondi Tawatao—Getty Images by [Nash Jenkins](/author/p-nash-jenkins/) ## Nash Jenkins Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 15, 2016 9:59 AM CUT The wife of the gunman behind the Orlando nightclub shooting that left 49 people dead potentially faces criminal [charges](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-shooting-idUSKCN0Z017C "undefined") in connection with the massacre, several media outlets are reporting. Citing an unnamed law enforcement official, Reuters says that 30-year-old Noor Salman, the wife of gunman Omar Mateen, [may have been aware](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-shooting-idUSKCN0Z017C "undefined") of her husband’s plan to open fire at the gay nightclub Pulse early Sunday morning. “It appears she had some knowledge of what was going on,” alleged U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, [on CNN](http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/14/us/orlando-gunman-omar-mateen-wife-fbi/index.html "undefined"). “She definitely is, I guess you would say, a person of interest right now and appears to be cooperating.” Salman reportedly [told](http://time.com/4368674/orlando-shooting-omar-mateen-2/ "undefined") investigators that she tried to talk her husband out of the attack and [told](http://time.com/4368674/orlando-shooting-omar-mateen-2/ "undefined") FBI agents that she had driven her husband to Pulse on at least one occasion. (The FBI is currently [investigating claims](http://time.com/4369471/orlando-shooting-omar-mateen-wife-gay-secret/ "undefined") that Mateen was a regular patron of the gay club.) ### Scenes From the Tragic Aftermath of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub Shooting  Police officers direct family members away from a shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on June 12, 2016. Phelan M. Ebenhack—AP  Police and forensics investigators work at the crime scene of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., on June 12, 2016. Carlo Allegri—Reuters  Friends and family members embrace outside the Orlando Police Headquarters during the investigation of a shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on June 13, 2016. Steve Nesius—Reuters  Police investigate the Pulse nightclub following a mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., on June 12, 2016. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Tatiana Osorio cries while giving blood at the OneBlood blood center near the mass shooting at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on June 13, 2016\. Osorio lost three friends in the shooting. David Goldman—AP  A memorial honors the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting at the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts in Orlando, Fla., on June 13, 2016. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  A woman reacts as authorities investigate Pulse following a mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., on June 12, 2016. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  A reporter pauses at the Hampton Inn where relatives of victims gather for information in Orlando, Fla., on June, 12, 2016. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  A remembrance for Eric Rivera, killed in the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub, sits amongst a makeshift memorial for the victims in Orlando, Fla., on June 13, 2016. David Goldman—AP  Mourners attend a makeshift vigil for victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., on June 13, 2016. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Hundreds of people gather at a memorial outside of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Fla., on June 13, 2016. John Taggart—EPA  A memorial honors victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting at the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts in Orlando, Fla., on June 13, 2016. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  A mourner attends a makeshift vigil and a moment of silence for victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., on June 12, 2016. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Reporters wait to interview relatives of victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., on June 13, 2016. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Seddique Mateen, father of Pulse nightclub gunman Omar Mateen, outside his home in Port Saint Lucie, Fla., on June 14, 2016. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden depart a makeshift memorial after placing flowers in memory of shooting victims of the massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on June 16, 2016. Carlos Barria—Reuters  Mourners attend a makeshift vigil and a moment of silence for victims of the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., on June 12, 2016. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME According to [Fox News](http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/06/14/federal-prosecutors-convene-grand-jury-to-investigate-wife-orlando-massacre-gunman-source-says.html?intcmp=hpbt1 "undefined"), federal prosecutors have convened a grand jury to investigate her alleged involvement, and are seeking to charge her with being an accessory to 49 counts of murder and 53 counts of attempted murder, as well as failing to notify law enforcement officials about the attack. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4369619/orlando-shooter-wife-omar-noor-mateen-charges/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4369619/orlando-shooter-wife-omar-noor-mateen-charges/"},"headline":"The Orlando Shooter's Wife Could Face Criminal Charges, Reports Say","datePublished":"2016-06-15T09:59:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:59:53.277Z","description":"Federal prosecutors have reportedly convened a grand jury to investigate Noor Salman, the wife of Omar Mateen","url":"https://time.com/4369619/orlando-shooter-wife-omar-noor-mateen-charges/","keywords":["Crime","Orlando","Orlando Shooting","omar mateen"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte567b5977fba657e/698897f0ab6d7732906aa14b/gettyimages-540068694.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nash Jenkins","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/p-nash-jenkins/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte567b5977fba657e/698897f0ab6d7732906aa14b/gettyimages-540068694.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Vigils In Manila After The Orlando Shooting","caption":"Vigils In Manila After The Orlando Shooting","creditText":"Gondi Tawatao—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4369619/orlando-shooter-wife-omar-noor-mateen-charges/","name":"The Orlando Shooter's Wife Could Face Criminal Charges, Reports Say"}}]}] ```