Naval Station Shooting Suspect Reportedly a Saudi Military Trainee
AP is reporting that the suspect killed in Friday’s deadly shooting that took four total lives was a Saudi aviation student, according to a US official.
AP reports:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. official says the Florida Naval station shooting suspect was an aviation student from Saudi Arabia and authorities are investigating if the shooting was terrorism-related.
Military from around the globe attend the Naval Air Station in Pensacola.
The shooter opened fire in a classroom building on Friday morning. The attack that left four people dead, including the assailant, and multiple people wounded.
The shooting was the second at a U.S. Navy base this week.
CNN Pentagon reporter Barbara Starr confirmed AP’s report Friday afternoon, telling anchor John King that according to “several officials” that the suspected shooter in the incident in Pensacola was a member of the Saudi military.
“This is a person who was at Pensacola most likely for training, because that is what happens there, but several U.S. Officials are now saying it was a member of the Saudi military that was the suspected shooter,” Starr continued, adding “one investigator telling our David Shortell they just don’t know if it was terrorist-related at this point. They’re looking into, obviously, all motives as they would in any investigation like this.”
During a press conference held earlier in the day, the local sheriff department refused to release details about the alleged shooter killed after injuring seven individuals and killing three others, particularly when questions of terrorism were involved.
AP reports, however, that according to the U.S. official, an investigation of whether the shooting activity is terrorism-related.
Update: NBC News’ Pete Williams has reported the name of the alleged shooter as Muhammad Saeed al-Shamrani.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
Watch the breaking news report above via CNN.
