Graphic video made public from Pulse nightclub shooting at trial of gunman's widow
Noor Salman, the widow of the Orlando nightclub shooter, is on trial on federal terrorism charges for her alleged role in the massacre. Forty-nine people were killed when Omar Mateen opened fire in June 2016.
On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury surveillance video of the shooting as they laid out a timeline. The graphic video was made public Friday.
Government attorneys have said in court they showed this graphic video to jurors because they believe it is clearest evidence they have pointing to Noor Salman as aiding abetting her husband in committing a terrorist attack.
The edited courtroom video begins by showing Omar Mateen buying a ticket before walking into Pulse as clubgoers are enjoying last call. It is just before 2 a.m. Mateen then leaves the building, but returns less than 10 minutes later and almost immediately opens fire into the main part of the club with his semi-automatic rifle.
After appearing to fire off several shots, he walks toward the back of the club, firing again, methodically picking off patrons, some dive to the floor, others simply tumble atop one another. He appears to shoot some victims once they are already down.
At one point, Mateen drops a used clip and reloads. Stalking back and forth between rooms, he continues to fire away and then heads toward the restroom, where people can be seen on cellphone video, huddled in fear.
At 2:07, roughly six minutes after he started shooting, police entered the building with guns drawn. As they search inside for mateen, they are seen stepping over victims, and evacuating as many who are still alive as possible.
By 2:37, survivors can be seen climbing out of the building, as law enforcement continues to enter the club.
The video shows the police engaging Mateen, but it does not show his final moments. He was found dead more than three hours after the gunfire began. The attorney for Salman says, in her defense, Mateen decided to go to the club at the last minute and therefore she had no idea of her husband's plans.
