Fatal Shooting at US Naval Base in Pensacola, Florida: What We Know So Far

05:40 GMT, 7 December 2019

The American military has been rocked by two shootings in just a week, with an earlier incident witnessing the killing of two civilians at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Sputnik

The attack was carried out by a lone shooter at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida on Friday. This is what is known about the tragic incident so far.

The suspect opened fire in a classroom, killing three people and injuring several others, including two officers before being shot dead by police.
According to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the perpetrator was an aviation trainee from Saudi Arabia. He also noted that Riyadh owes a debt to the victims of the shooting.
Media outlets later identified the Saudi national as Mohammed al-Shamrani.
According to reports, the shooter posted a manifesto on Twitter, claiming that America "has turned into a nation of evil" and accusing the US of crimes against Muslims. At the moment, however, the account is suspended, and its authenticity is yet to be verified.

Fatal Shooting at US Naval Base in Pensacola, Florida: What We Know So Far

Six Saudi nationals were detained following the incident, including those who had filmed the attack, The New York Times reported, citing a source close to the investigation.

President Donald Trump expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.

Saudi King Salman later telephoned Trump to denounce the incident, stating "the perpetrator of this heinous crime does not represent the Saudi people", according to the Saudi Press Agency. Riyadh also vowed to assist the US in the investigation into the attack.

The American authorities are investigating if the assault was a terrorist incident, according to media reports