Navy base shooter Saudi Arabian aviation student, officials say
PENSACOLA, Fla. — A U.S. official has identified the shooter at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola as a Saudi Arabian aviation student.
Authorities are investigating if the shooting was terrorism-related. The shooting was the second at a U.S. Navy base this week.
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan says 11 people were shot in Friday’s attack, four of whom died, including the shooter. Base commander Capt. Timothy Kinsella Jr. says the base will remain closed until further notice.
NAS Pensacola employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel, according to its website. One of the Navy’s most historic and storied bases, it sprawls along the waterfront southwest of downtown Pensacola and dominates the economy of the surrounding area.
Some of the Pensacola base looks like a college campus with buildings where members of the Navy, Marines, Air Force Coast Guard receive training from both military and civilian instructors on many fields of aviation.
The base is home is home to the Blue Angels flight demonstration team, and includes the National Naval Aviation Museum, a popular regional tourist attraction.
A sailor whose submarine was docked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, opened fire on three civilian employees Wednesday, killing two before taking his own life.
