Pensacola Naval Base Shooting: FBI Investigates The Case As An Act Of Terrorism

• Mohammed Alshamrani shot 3 students at Pensacola Naval Base
• Alshamrani was receiving training at the base
• The 21-year-old was shot dead by a sheriff’s deputy

The shooting at the Pensacola Naval Base in Florida which left three dead and eight injured was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as an act of terrorism. The investigative authorities told the local reports that the motive behind the shooting was unclear.

21-year-old Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force, was receiving training at the naval base as reported in a press release by FBI agent, Rachel L. Rojas. Alshamrani then proceeded to open fire with his gun after which he was shot dead by a sheriff’s deputy who was responding to the scene.

The three fatally shot by the attacker were, 23-year-old Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson, 19-year-old Airman Mohammed Sameh Haithman and 21-year-old Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters. The victims were later confirmed to be students.

Agent Rojas stated in the press release that the case was being investigated as a terrorist attack as a part of the standard procedure for such events. She added that it will allow them to access more investigative tools for the case. “Members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division are working tirelessly to discern if any possible ideology that may have been a factor in this attack,” she further stated.

According to the local sources, the gun used for the shooting was a 9mm Glock pistol and the attacker had acquired a hunting license for the same which allowed him to legally purchase the gun in the U.S. despite being from another country.

The purpose of the investigation was to ascertain that Alshamrani was not a part of a larger group or had a terrorist front ideology. The investigation in the case was ongoing and it was ensured that there was no threat to the community.