Saudi student opens fire at Florida Naval base, killing 3

U.S. officials investigating dely attack by a Saudi aviation student at a naval air station in Florida were working Saturday to determine wher it was motivated by terrorism.

An aviation student from Saudi Arabia opened fire in a classroom at Naval Air Station Pensacola on Friday morning, killing three people. assault, which prompted a massive law enforcement response and base lockdown, ended when a sheriff’s deputy killed attacker. Twelve people were hurt in attack, including two deputies, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said.

Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott issued a scathing statement calling shooting an act of terrorism “wher this individual was motivated by rical Islam or was simply mentally unstable.”

Scott ded that it was “clear that we need to take steps to ensure that any and all foreign nationals are scrutinized and vetted extensively before being embedded with our American men and women in uniform.”

However, a national security expert from Herit Foundation warned against making an immediate link to terrorism.

Charles “Cully” Stimson cautioned against assuming that “because he was a Saudi national in ir air force and he murdered our people, that he is a terrorist.”

shooter was a member of Saudi military who was in aviation training at base, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference. DeSantis spokesman Helen Ferre later said goverr learned about shooter’s identity from briefings with FBI and military officials.

A U.S. official who spoke to Associated Press on condition of anymity identified shooter as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani. official wasn’t authorized to discuss matter publicly. official also said FBI is examining social media posts and investigating wher he acted alone or was connected to any broer group.

During a news conference Friday night, FBI declined to release shooter’s identity and wouldn’t comment on his possible motivations.

“re are many reports circulating, but FBI deals only in facts,” said Rachel L. Rojas, FBI’s special nt in charge of Jacksonville Field Office.

Earlier Friday, two U.S. officials identified student as a second lieutenant in Saudi Air Force and said authorities were investigating wher attack was terrorism-related. y spoke on condition of anymity to disclose information that h t yet been me public.

President Donald Trump declined to say wher shooting was terrorism-related. Trump tweeted his condolences to families of victims and ted that he h received a phone call from Saudi King Salman.

He said king told him that “ Saudi people are greatly angered by barbaric actions of shooter, and that this person in way shape or form represents feelings of Saudi people who love American people.”

Saudi government offered condolences to victims and ir families and said it would provide “full support” to U.S. authorities investigating shooting.

DeSantis said Saudi Arabia needed to be held to account for attack.

“Obviously, government ... needs to make things better for se victims,” he said. “I think y’re going to owe a debt here, given that this was one of ir individuals.”

U.S. has long h a robust training program for Saudis, providing assistance in U.S. and in kingdom. shooting, however, shined a spotlight on two countries’ sometimes rocky relationship.

kingdom is still trying to recover from killing last year of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Saudi intelligence officials and a forensic doctor killed and dismembered Khashoggi on Oct. 2, 2018, just as his fiancée waited outside diplomatic mission.

One of Navy’s most historic and storied bases, Naval Air Station Pensacola sprawls along waterfront southwest of city’s downtown and dominates ecomy of surrounding area.

Part of base resembles a college campus, with buildings where 60,000 members of Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard train each year in multiple fields of aviation. A couple of hundred students from countries outside U.S. are also enrolled in training, said Base commander Capt. Tim Kinsella.

base is also home to Blue Angels flight demonstration team and includes National Naval Aviation Museum, a popular regional tourist attraction.

All of shooting took place in one classroom and shooter used a handgun, authorities said. Weapons are t allowed on base, which Kinsella said would remain closed until furr tice.

shooting is second at a U.S. naval base this week. A sailor whose submarine was docked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, opened fire on three civilian employees Wednesday, killing two before taking his own life.