Naval base shooter investigated for possible terrorism links
U.S.
officials investigating the deadly attack by a Saudi aviation student
at a naval air station in Florida were working Saturday to determine
whether it was motivated by terrorism.
An
aviation student from Saudi Arabia opened fire in a classroom at the
Naval Air Station Pensacola on Friday morning, killing three people. The
assault, which prompted a massive law enforcement response and base
lockdown, ended when a sheriff's deputy killed the attacker. Eight
people were hurt in the attack, including the deputy and a second deputy
who was with him.
Family
members on Saturday identified one of the victims as a 23-year-old
recent graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who alerted first responders
to where the shooter was even after he had been shot several times.
“Joshua
Kaleb Watson saved countless lives today with his own," Adam Watson
wrote on Facebook. “He died a hero and we are beyond proud but there is a
hole in our hearts that can never be filled."
Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott issued a scathing statement calling the shooting — the second
on a U.S. Naval base this week — an act of terrorism “whether this
individual was motivated by radical Islam or was simply mentally
unstable."
The
shooter was a member of the Saudi military who was in aviation training
at the base, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference.
DeSantis spokesman Helen Ferre later said the governor learned about the
shooter's identity from briefings with FBI and military officials.
A
U.S. official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of
anonymity identified the shooter as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani. The
official wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The official
also said the FBI is examining social media posts and investigating
whether he acted alone or was connected to any broader group.
During
a news conference Friday night, the FBI declined to release the
shooter's identity and wouldn't comment on his possible motivations.
“There
are many reports circulating, but the FBI deals only in facts," said
Rachel L. Rojas, the FBI's special agent in charge of the Jacksonville
Field Office.
Earlier
Friday, two U.S. officials identified the student as a second
lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force, and said authorities were
investigating whether the attack was terrorism-related. They spoke on
condition of anonymity to disclose information that had not yet been
made public.
A national security expert from the Heritage Foundation warned against making an immediate link to terrorism.
Charles
"Cully" Stimson cautioned against assuming that “because he was a Saudi
national in their air force and he murdered our people, that he is a
terrorist."
President
Donald Trump declined to say whether the shooting was
terrorism-related. Trump tweeted his condolences to the families of the
victims and noted that he had received a phone call from Saudi King
Salman.
He said the king told him that “this person in no way shape or form represents the feelings of the Saudi people."
The
Saudi government offered condolences to the victims and their families
and said it would provide “full support” to U.S. authorities.
The
U.S. has long had a robust training program for Saudis, providing
assistance in the U.S. and in the kingdom. The shooting, however, shined
a spotlight on the two countries' sometimes rocky relationship.
The
kingdom is still trying to recover from the killing last year of
Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in
Istanbul. Saudi intelligence officials and a forensic doctor killed and
dismembered Khashoggi on Oct. 2, 2018, just as his fiancée waited
outside the diplomatic mission.
One
of the Navy's most historic and storied bases, Naval Air Station
Pensacola sprawls along the waterfront southwest of the city's downtown
and dominates the economy of the surrounding area.
Part
of the base resembles a college campus, with buildings where 60,000
members of the Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard train each year
in multiple fields of aviation. A couple hundred students from countries
outside the U.S. are also enrolled in training, said Base commander
Capt. Tim Kinsella.
All
of the shooting took place in one classroom and the shooter used a
handgun, authorities said. Weapons are not allowed on the base, which
Kinsella said would remain closed until further notice.
Adam
Watson said his little brother was able to make it outside the
classroom building to tell authorities where the shooter was after being
shot “multiple" times. “Those details were invaluable," he wrote on his
Facebook page.
Watson's father, Benjamin Watson, was quoted by the Pensacola News Journal as
saying that his son was a recent graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who
dreamed of becoming a Navy pilot. He said he had reported to Pensacola
two weeks ago to begin flight training. “He died serving his country,”
Benjamin Watson said.
The
shooting is the second at a U.S. naval base this week. A sailor whose
submarine was docked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, opened fire on three
civilian employees Wednesday, killing two before taking his own life.
Source: https://in.news.yahoo.com/saudi-student-opens-fire-florida-145638361.html
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