The widow of the Pulse nightclub gunman was in federal court on Thursday to stand trial for aiding her terrorist husband — and she got greeted by a man with a chilling, yet powerful message.
With a jug of water in one hand and a white cardboard sign in the other, Miami Beach resident Bob Kunst stood outside for hours and let his voice be heard.
“’FRY’ HER TILL SHE HAS NO ‘PULSE,'” his sign said.
The longtime gay rights activist traveled all the way from Miami this week to deliver the message to Salman, who is on trial for allegedly helping her husband, Omar Mateen, plan the June 12, 2016 attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
Forty-nine people died that day and dozens more were wounded.
“I’m here for the families. I’m here for the victims,” Kunst told CBS 12, noting how many were members of the LGBT community.
“Miami-Dade is the holy land of gay rights and 42 years ago we took on and I led the opposition that opened the door to the whole gay rights experience,” he said. “I needed to be here to make a statement about the Islamic Nazi mass murder that took place two years ago, and here we have the wife of the guy who did it knowing fully well of what was going on aiding and abetting this mass murder.
“She needs to pay the ultimate price,” Kunst added.
Salman’s trial got kicked off on Thursday with jury selection. It was reportedly the first time that many of the Pulse survivors saw her in person.
“I just felt I had to come. I had to make my presence known for the survivors, for the families,” said India Godman, one of several people who were there that night and showed up in court.
“We all embraced one another,” she told the Orlando Sentinel. “We’re all here to support one another.”
Salman, 31, has been accused of knowingly aiding Mateen — who was on an FBI terror watch list before the attack. Authorities say he had pledged his allegiance to ISIS.
Ten potential jurors were questioned Thursday about a number of topics, including guns and their opinions on 9/11 and the recent Florida school shooting.
One man was asked if he believed religion played a role in an attacker’s motive.
“I don’t look at it as a Muslim thing,” he said, according to the Sentinel.
Four of the 10 people questioned Thursday were excused by the judge in the case. They included a new mom, a commission worker, a woman with medical issues and another female who apparently hates firearms.
“I don’t like shooting. I don’t like guns. I don’t see why people even go there,” she reportedly said after being asked about claims that Salman had visited a gun range several years ago.
“Why would she want to do that from the beginning?” the woman added. “What is the purpose of learning to shoot?”
Salman is charged with aiding and abetting her husband in support of a foreign terror organization and obstructing justice.
Her defense team claims that Mateen — who was shot and killed by police on the day of the attack — abused Salman for years and brainwashed her. They plan to argue this in court.