Pulse Nightclub Shooter's Widow Found Not Guilty of Aiding and Abetting

Noor Salman, the widow of Pulse Nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, was found not guilty of aiding and abetting her husband on Friday in what the Washington Post called a "stunning" verdict.

While the prosecutors argued that Salman had knowingly lied to the FBI following her husband's murder of 49 people at Pulse Nightclub on June 2, 2016, her defense maintained that Salman had no knowledge of her husband's plan and that the FBI "took advantage of her lack of sophistication to persuade her to admit to things she did not do."

"We respect the jury's verdict and thank them for their hard work," said the U.S. Attorney's Office in a statement.

Orange County Sheriff Jerry L. Demings had a different take on the verdict, saying, "I am disappointed in the outcome of the trial and know that the victims and/or their families are more disappointed."

An anonymous juror told ClickOrlando.com that, while they found Salman innocent, they were "convinced she did know. She may not have known what day, or what location, but she knew. However, we were not tasked with deciding if she was aware of a potential attack. The charges were aiding and abetting and obstruction of justice."

On Friday afternoon a group of protestors gathered outside Pulse and made clear that they didn't believe justice had been served.

"She may not be guilty, but she's not innocent," said 50-year-old Pulse patron Louis Morales. "She knew something."