Three people were killed and multiple were wounded in a mass shooting Friday morning at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida.
A total of eight people were taken to local hospitals, where one person succumbed to their wounds and died, law enforcement officials told reporters at a press conference Friday. Two officers who responded to the shooting were among those injured.
The suspected gunman was a Saudi military member who was going through aviation training at the Navy base, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday. The gunman died in the shooting, said Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan, adding that a county officer “negated the threat” after responding to the scene.
President Trump said he spoke with Saudi King Salman in a tweet Friday afternoon. The king said he was “angered by the barbaric actions of the shooter,” Trump said.
....The King said that the Saudi people are greatly angered by the barbaric actions of the shooter, and that this person in no way shape or form represents the feelings of the Saudi people who love the American people.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2019This is the second shooting at a U.S. Navy installation on American soil in three days. On Wednesday, a Navy sailor opened fire at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, killing two people and wounding one before taking his own life.
Here’s what to know about the shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
What we know about the victims
One shooting victim died after being transported to the hospital, according to officials. Two other victims were killed at the scene of the shooting. The Baptist Hospital in Pensacola said it received eight patients.
Two officers were taken to the hospital after sustaining injuries from confronting the shooter, Sheriff David Morgan told reporters. One was undergoing surgery after being shot in the knee, while the other was recovering from a shot to the arm.
Eleven people total, including the gunman, who is now dead, were affected in the shooting, officials said.
Morgan said walking through the crime scene felt as though he was on the set of a movie.
“This strikes home particularly hard for me as a retired military member,” he told reporters. “You don’t expect this to happen at home.”
Who is the gunman?
The suspect was a member of the Saudi military, according to DeSantis.
The Associated Press, citing a U.S. official, reports the gunman was identified as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani. He was a second lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force, according to the AP.
The suspected shooter was in aviation training the Pensacola base. Authorities are investigating whether the shooting was a terror attack.
Students from around the world attend NAS Pensacola, which trains people from across every military branch, the U.S. Coast Guard and foreign allies, according to the Navy.
Trump tweeted on Friday that he’d spoken with Saudi Arabian King Salman, who expressed condolences for the shooting.
King Salman of Saudi Arabia just called to express his sincere condolences and give his sympathies to the families and friends of the warriors who were killed and wounded in the attack that took place in Pensacola, Florida....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2019What we know about the shooting
NAS Pensacola’s security and local law enforcement were notified of an active shooter on the Navy base at 6:45 a.m. Friday, Morgan said.
The gunman opened fire in a classroom building on the base. The exact building was not specified.
NAS Pensacola remained closed as of late Friday morning. Officials warned people to stay away from the base area.
*** Alert ***
Both gates of NASP are currently secured due to reports of an active shooter. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
— NAS Pensacola (@NASPCOLA) December 6, 2019What is Naval Air Station Pensacola?
Naval Air Station Pensacola, established around 1825, is one of the Navy’s main hubs for training Naval and Marine Corps. aviators and is also home to the Blue Angels, the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron. Overall, NAS Pensacola is one of the Navy’s largest training centers, with about 60,000 students who graduate each year from training programs, according to its website.
NAS Pensacola base commander Capt. Tim Kinsella told reporters Friday that the air station trains aviators from several different countries and currently has roughly a couple hundred international students. The suspected shooter was part of the aviation training program, Kinsella said.
“It’s something we’ve been doing for quite a while. The cross-training that we do with our allies is something that we’ve done for a long time,” he said. “There’s always been international students training here.”
How politicians are responding
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the Navy base a “special place” during a press conference Friday afternoon.
“All these brave warriors who wear the wings, they come through here for flight training. This is a very dark day for a very great place,” he said.
A White House spokesperson said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the shooting and was monitoring the situation. Vice President Mike Pence said in a tweet that he was “saddened to hear of the horrible shooting.”
Saddened to hear of the horrible shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola & continuing to monitor the situation. Praying for the victims & their families & we commend the first responders for their swift action in taking down the shooter & getting those on base to safety.
— Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) December 6, 2019Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz tweeted that he was closely monitoring the shooting.
My staff and I are closely monitoring reports of a shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The shooter is now dead.
Please pray for our military service members, law enforcement, and other first responders as they work to address the situation.
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) December 6, 2019Florida Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott said they were keeping in close contact with officials to monitor the shooting and offer any assistance needed.
Just spoke to commanding officer of Naval Air Station Pensacola. We are in close contact with all the relevant officials & closely monitoring events. Please pray for everyone impacted by this horrible situation.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 6, 2019Spoke with Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan as well this morning to offer any assistance to our law enforcement.
These brave officers did an incredible job responding to the threat. We are truly thankful for their commitment to protecting our communities. https://t.co/s6gUBt49tk
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) December 6, 2019ncG1vNJzZmismaKyb6%2FOpmZub2Rqf3WEjqyfqKeknruoec2arZqkXZa2s3nSrZitoZ%2BjerGxzayYnKeclnw%3D