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Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting

Coordinates: 30°21′0″N 87°17′24″W / 30.35000°N 87.29000°W / 30.35000; -87.29000
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Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting
Pensacola Naval Air Station
Naval Air Station Pensacola is located in Florida
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola (Florida)
Naval Air Station Pensacola is located in the United States
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola (the United States)
LocationNaval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, United States
DateDecember 6, 2019 (2019-12-06)
6:51–7:45 a.m. (ET UTC−05:00)
WeaponsGlock 45 9x19mm[1]
Deaths4 (including the perpetrator)[2]
Injured8
PerpetratorMohammed Saeed Alshamrani
MotiveIslamic Terrorism

On the morning of December 6, 2019, a terrorist attack was perpetrated at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida.[3] The attacker killed three people and injured eight others.[4][5][6] The shooter was killed by Escambia County sheriff deputies after they arrived at the scene.[7] He was identified as an aviation student from Saudi Arabia.[8] The FBI is currently searching for the motive behind the attack.[9]

Background

Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force, was participating in a training program sponsored by the Pentagon as part of a security cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. A Department of Defense official stated that more than 850 Saudi nationals are in the U.S. participating in the training program, which includes English, basic aviation, and initial pilot training.[10]

Saudi Arabia is one of many countries allied to the United States that send their military to the naval station for training.[7] The program hosted, at the time of the shooting, 5,180 students, including the perpetrator, from 153 countries.[11]

Shooting

Prior to the attack at 6:39 a.m., a message on Twitter was posted by a user using the handle @M7MD_SHAMRANI, which declared hate for Americans due to its support for Israel. This message has not yet been verified as being posted by the perpetrator.[12]

The shooting was first reported at 6:51 a.m. when the suspect opened fire in one of the classroom buildings.[13] During the incident he moved through two floors of the building, discharging his weapon on both.[14] At least one wounded victim was able to make his way away from the scene to alert the first response team of the location of the shooter and other information.[15] The suspect was shot and killed at 7:45 a.m. after two deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff's Office exchanged gunfire with him.[7][16]

The outside of the building was videotaped by another Saudi student while the shooting was occurring, while two other Saudi students were watching the shooting from a car.[17] The student that was filming, and the other two students, had been a part of a dinner party hosted by the perpetrator prior to the attack.[11]

Victims

The shooter killed three people, and injured eight others who were taken to the hospital, including the two deputies who sustained gunshots to their limbs.[18][7] Of the deceased, two were declared dead at the navy base and the third, who was able to get to authorities and give them a description of the shooter, died at the hospital.[19]

The three victims who died of their injuries were a 19-year-old airman from St. Petersburg, Florida, a 23-year-old ensign and recent graduate of the United States Naval Academy from Coffee, Alabama, and a 21-year-old airman apprentice from Richmond Hill, Georgia.[20] [19]

Perpetrator

Photo of Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani issued by the FBI

During a news conference the night of the shooting the FBI refused to release the shooter’s identity and would not comment on motives, and stated that the investigation was ongoing and too early for identification.[21] The shooter was identified, by officials under anonymity, as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force. He was participating in aviation training at the station.[12][22][23] His training with the program began in August 2017 and was scheduled to conclude in August 2020, and included initial pilot training, basic aviation, and English-language instruction.[24]

SITE Intelligence Group said that Alshamrani posted a justification of his planned attack before the shooting in which he referred to U.S. wars in Muslim countries, wrote of his hatred for the American people, criticized Washington’s support for Israel, and quoted bin Laden.[25]

Prior to the shooting, the perpetrator had hosted a dinner party where he and three other Saudi students had watched videos of other US mass shootings.[17]

Aftermath

Due to the attack, the national anthem was not played on the loud speakers of the base at 8:00 a.m., as was otherwise customary. The store Wings & Things Monogramming and its parking lot was used as a congregation area for many military members who were not able to enter the locked-down base. [26]

A mural was started by a local artist at the local Graffiti Bridge to honor the victims and survivors.[26]

Investigation

The FBI opened an investigation into the perpetrator's social media, with aid from the Middle East Media Research Institute. Investigators are looking for any signs of radicalization in the perpetrator's upbringing, and whether the attack was an act of terror.[15] At least ten Saudi students were detained for questioning about the shooting, though many were initially unaccounted for.[11]

It was released by officials that the perpetrator had obtained a hunting license which allows for non-immigrants on a non-immigrant visa to purchase a gun. He then legally purchased a weapon from a gun store earlier in the year. [27]

Another investigation was opened by Defense Secretary Mark Esper into the vetting measures that go into accepting foreign nationals into the United States to train with the military.[15]

On December 8, the FBI said it is treating the shooting as a presumed terrorist attack.[28]

Response

Domestic

Matt Gaetz, the U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district (which includes Pensacola), stated, "I believe we can safely call this an act of terror, not an act of workplace violence."[7] Florida senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott called for thorough investigations of military training programs for foreign nationals on U.S. soil, and possible flaws in the trainee vetting processes.[29]

Florida governor Ron DeSantis placed a large amount of blame and need for compensation on the Saudi government, stating "They [Saudi Arabia] are going to owe a debt here given that this is one of their individuals."[30]

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "its deep distress" after the incident and offered "its sincere condolences to the victims' families, and wishes the injured a speedy recovery" through a statement.[30]

The king of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, called President Donald Trump who posted about the call on December 6, through Twitter. Trump stated the king had expressed his "sincere condolences" to those involved. Trump further elaborated that the king had said that the Saudi people were angered by the attack and that the perpetrator "in no way shape or form represents the feelings of the Saudi people who love the American people."[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ Mazzei, Patricia; Gibbons-Neff, Thomas; Hauser, Christine (December 7, 2019). "Florida Shooting Updates: Authorities Say It's Too Early to Know if It's Terrorism" – via NYTimes.com.
  2. ^ Carrega, Christina; Zarrell, Matt; Martinez, Luis. "4 dead including suspect after active shooter incident at Naval Air Station Pensacola, police say". ABC News. ABC News Internet Ventures. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  3. ^ "Pensacola naval base shooting that left 3 dead presumed to be terrorism, FBI says". NBCNews. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  4. ^ Fieldstadt, Elisha (December 6, 2019). "Shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola; at least 3 dead, multiple injured". NBC News. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  5. ^ Watts, Amanda; Andone, Dakin (December 6, 2019). "2 dead and several injured in shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola". CNN. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  6. ^ "Florida: four dead including suspect in naval air station shooting". The Guardian. December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d e Youssef, Nancy A.; Ansari, Talal (December 6, 2019). "Pensacola Gunman Believed to Be Saudi Who Was Training at Air Base". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  8. ^ "Official: Pensacola shooter was Saudi aviation student". AP NEWS. December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  9. ^ FBI presumes Pensacola base attack was an act of terror; no motive identified
  10. ^ USA Today, "'Barbaric': Saudi national opens fire in classroom on Pensacola Navy base, kills 3, injures 8" Dec. 6, 2019 [1]
  11. ^ a b c Pickrell, Ryan (December 7, 2019). "Suspect in deadly shooting at Florida naval base hosted a dinner party to watch mass shooting videos before the attack, according to a US official". Business Insider. Retrieved December 7, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ a b CNN, Dakin Andone, Barbara Starr and David Shortell. "A Saudi national is the suspected gunman in deadly shooting at Pensacola Naval Air Station, sources say". CNN. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Terror Angle Being Investigated in Pensacola Navy Base Shooting". www.baynews9.com.
  14. ^ Turco, Rebecca (December 7, 2019). "FBI Begins Terror Investigation Into Pensacola Naval Base Shooting". www.mynews13.com. Retrieved December 7, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ a b c December 7, CBS News; 2019; Am, 9:43. "Brother says Pensacola shooting victim saved countless lives: "He died a hero"". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved December 7, 2019. {{cite web}}: |last2= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Henderson, Kaitlin Wright & Kristie (December 6, 2019). "AP: NAS Pensacola shooting suspect was Saudi aviation student". WEAR.
  17. ^ a b Farrington, Brendan (December 7, 2019). "Official: Base shooter watched shooting videos before attack". AP NEWS. Retrieved December 7, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ Blanks, Annie (December 6, 2019). "Four confirmed dead at NAS Pensacola, including shooter identified as Saudi national". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  19. ^ a b Mills, Ryan; Robinson, Kevin (December 7, 2019). "Pensacola Navy base shooting victim 'saved countless lives,' family says". USA TODAY. Retrieved December 7, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ USA Today, "Navy identifies 3 people killed in NAS Pensacola shooting", Dec. 7, 2019 [2]
  21. ^ "Pensacola naval base shooter who killed 3 was a Saudi aviation student". Los Angeles Times. December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  22. ^ "Suspected shooter at Naval Air Station Pensacola was Saudi national". NBC News.
  23. ^ "Four dead in Fla. Navy base shooting; Gunman was Saudi Air Force officer, officials say". Stars and Stripes.
  24. ^ a b Baldor, Lolita (December 6, 2019). "US digs into Saudi shooting suspect motive in Navy shooting". AP NEWS. Retrieved December 7, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ "Saudi airman may have become radicalized before U.S. Navy base attack". Reuters. Reuters.
  26. ^ a b Warren-Hicks, Jake Newby and Colin (December 6, 2019). "'It hits so hard': Navy base community shaken, stunned over Pensacola shooting". USA TODAY. Retrieved December 7, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ CNN, Nicole Chavez, Steve Almasy, Barbara Starr and David Shortell (December 8, 2019). "The Pensacola gunman bought his weapon legally, sources say". CNN. Retrieved December 8, 2019. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ "Pensacola attack is presumed terrorism - FBI". BBC. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  29. ^ Vandana Rambaran (December 6, 2019). "6 Saudi nationals detained for questioning after NAS Pensacola shooting: official". Fox News. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  30. ^ a b Rambaran, Vandana (December 6, 2019). "6 Saudi nationals detained for questioning after NAS Pensacola shooting: official". Fox News. Retrieved December 7, 2019.

External links

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