EDITORIAL: Chattanooga incident shows military facilities can’t be gun-free zones

Facts are still coming in regarding the recent deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tenn., but what we do know about the incident is equal parts tragic and frustrating.

On the morning of July 16, 24-year-old Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez opened fire on an armed forces recruiting center from a rented silver Mustang. According to federal information and witnesses, the barrage lasted a minute, sending members of the military running for cover and wounding a Marine recruiter.

Abdulazeez then fled north, crashing his vehicle through a gate in front of a U.S. Naval and Marine Reserve Center. He jumped out of the car and stormed the building armed with an assault rifle, a handgun and numerous rounds of ammunition. While one of the soldiers had a weapon and fired several rounds at Abdulazeez as he approached (and fired at) the building, the rest of the 20 Marines and two Navy corpsmen in the building were unarmed.

Abdulazeez shot his way inside the building, mortally wounding a U.S. Navy petty officer. Marines ran from door-to-door to rush people to safety before, according to one witness, some "willingly ran back to the fight." Abdulazeez kept firing at anyone he saw, eventually exiting out the back of the building into a fenced-in motorpool, where he killed two Marines. He then shot and killed two more Marines who were trying to shield others as they tried to escape over a fence. Abdulazeez then tried to flee back through the building, but was shot and killed in a gunfight with Chattanooga police. A Chattanooga police officer was wounded in the exchange. The incident at the Reserve Center lasted between three to five minutes.

As of now, the FBI is not calling Abdulazeez a terrorist. Contrary to widespread speculation that the attack was connected to or inspired by ISIS, no link has yet been found. Instead, says law enforcement, Abdulazeez likely turned to radical ideology as he struggled with severe mental health, substance abuse and financial issues. In the days leading up to the rampage, he searched the Internet for Islamic materials about whether martyrdom would lead to forgiveness for his sins. Apparently satisfied with what he found, Abdulazeez decided to go forward with his attack.

Whether the attack was inspired by ISIS or not, however, is almost moot. The fact that this massacre happened at all is the real outrage. This wasn't just an attack on our military, it was an attack on our country.

In this age of ISIS, the battlefield isn't limited to overseas. Our servicemen are targets as long as they are wearing uniforms, and the shooter knew they weren't armed. Our military facilities can no longer be gun-free zones. If we are going to ask our military forces to defend us, we should give them a fighting chance to defend themselves.