fbi logo

Shooting At Pensacola Naval Base is Being Investigated as Terrorism, FBI Says

Friends of the gunman, who was in the Saudi air force, have been cooperating with the investigation into the attack, which killed three sailors.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • Dec 09, 2019

The Friday shooting at a naval base in Pensacola, Florida that killed three sailors is being investigated as a terrorist act, the FBI announced in a news briefing on Sunday.

The killer was identified as a 21-year-old second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force who was participating in flight training at the Naval Air Station Pensacola. The FBI has been interviewing a number of Saudi students at the air station who were close to the shooter, according to Rachel Rojas, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Jacksonville field office.

"Their Saudi commanding officer has restricted them to base, and the Saudi government has pledged to fully cooperate with our investigation," Rojas said during the news briefing. "I thank the Kingdom for their pledge of full and complete cooperation."

She said that investigating the shooting with the “presumption” that it was an act of terror allows law enforcement to quickly move forward to solve the crime.

“[Doing so] allows us to take advantage of investigative techniques that can help us more quickly identify and then eliminate any additional threats to the rest of our community,” Rojas said.

There are currently no evidence of additional threats, Rojas said. She said that the investigators were still trying to determine whether the gunman worked as “part of a larger network” or what role ideology may have played in the shooting. Friends of the gunman are cooperating with the investigation, she said.

The shooter was killed by an Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy who was later hospitalized but is expected to recover from his injuries.

Three U.S. sailors, identified on Saturday as Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson, Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham and Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters, were killed as a result of the attack. Another eight people were injured and taken to area hospitals.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • An Inside Look From Napco at ISC West

    Get a look into the excitement at ISC West 2025 from Napco. Hear from some of their top-tech executives live from the show floor. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

  • Upping the Ante

    I am not a betting man in terms of cards, dice, blackjack or that wheel with the black marble racing around the circumference of a spinning wheel, but I would bet on the success of ISC West this year. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

  • It's Show Time

    I am one of those people that likes to see things get bigger and better. As advertised, ISC West is going to be bigger (more exhibitors) and better (more attendees). It’s show time in Las Vegas. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

  • SIA Releases New Report on Operational Security Technology

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has released an impactful new resource – Operational Security Technology: Principles, Challenges and Achieving Mission-Critical Outcomes Leveraging OST. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.