The lead FBI investigator and a handful of other federal agency personnel held a Dec. 8 morning media conference from NAS Pensacola, Fla., to update information about the Dec. 6 on-base shootings by a Saudi military officer-student that killed three sailors and wounded eight others. FBI's Rachel Rojas said a number of Saudi students close to the shooter are cooperating with the investigation. The Saudi's commanding officer, she said, had restricted them to NASP. The FBI is working to confirm if the gunman, Mohammed Alshamrani, 21, had acted alone or if there were others involved. (Source: WKRG 12/08/19) Addition
ally, the Associated Press reported Dec. 8 that a U.S. official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, says investigators believe the gunman visited New York City, including Rockefeller Center, days before the shooting. The FBI is working to determine the purpose of that trip, and attempting to locate and question anyone who may have interacted with him there or in the Pensacola area. The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The official says authorities believe the gunman also made social media posts about U.S. support for Israel and alleging Americans were anti-Muslim. Investigators are continuing to examine the shooter’s online profiles and social media postings. (The AP 12/08/19) UPDATE2: How many Saudis study in U.S. military programs? More than 5,500 temporary visas were issued to Saudi military personnel by the State Department in 2019. As of last Friday, there were 852 Saudis in the U.S. for DoD-sponsored training related to security cooperation. That represents 16 percent of the 5,181 students from 153 countries in these programs, according to DoD spokesperson Chris Garver. Pensacola is just one of more than 150 military schools and installations where these students study annually. (Source: Washington Post 12/08/19) https://www.wkrg.com/northwest-florida/official-nas-pensacola-gunman-visited-new-york-days-before-shooting/
ally, the Associated Press reported Dec. 8 that a U.S. official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, says investigators believe the gunman visited New York City, including Rockefeller Center, days before the shooting. The FBI is working to determine the purpose of that trip, and attempting to locate and question anyone who may have interacted with him there or in the Pensacola area. The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The official says authorities believe the gunman also made social media posts about U.S. support for Israel and alleging Americans were anti-Muslim. Investigators are continuing to examine the shooter’s online profiles and social media postings. (The AP 12/08/19) UPDATE2: How many Saudis study in U.S. military programs? More than 5,500 temporary visas were issued to Saudi military personnel by the State Department in 2019. As of last Friday, there were 852 Saudis in the U.S. for DoD-sponsored training related to security cooperation. That represents 16 percent of the 5,181 students from 153 countries in these programs, according to DoD spokesperson Chris Garver. Pensacola is just one of more than 150 military schools and installations where these students study annually. (Source: Washington Post 12/08/19) https://www.wkrg.com/northwest-florida/official-nas-pensacola-gunman-visited-new-york-days-before-shooting/
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