The wife of Orlando gunman Omar Mateen said she knew her husband was planning an attack and may now face charges, according to reports.
Noor Salman Mateen, the gunman’s second wife, told the FBI that she was aware of his plan for a mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, but didn’t notify authorities, according to local TV station WFTV.
She said that she tried to discourage her husband from carrying out the attack that left 49 dead, NBC News reported.
The broadcaster said authorities were now considering charging her. It further reported that Mateen's wife was with him when he bought ammunition and a holster.
Wielding an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and a handgun, Mateen opened fire at Pulse in a three-hour shooting rampage and hostage siege that ended when SWAT team officers killed him. During the attack, which also left 53 critically injured, the 29-year-old called 911 pledging his allegiance to Islamic State, who have since claimed responsibility for the terrorist act.
Mateen's wife reportedly drove him to Pulse nightclub on an earlier occasion when he scouted the location.
CBS News said that she had also traveled with him to Disney World in April as he allegedly surveilled parts of the amusement park and that she went with him to downtown Orlando earlier this month to scout other Disney facilities as well as the nightclub.
Noor Mateen is said to be cooperating with authorities.
The FBI has declined to comment to about her knowledge of the shooting.