Former Navy Reservist Aaron Alexis is dead gunman who murdered 12 people at Navy Yard Washington
The US investigation has still not come up with any motive for the former Navy Reservist, Aaron Alexis, 34, who was scheduled to begin work this month for a Navy subcontractor, to embark on a shooting rampage at the Washington Navy Yard Monday, Sept. 16. He indiscriminately murdered 12 people and injured many more in just a few minutes at the sprawling installation just 3 km from the Capitol.
The gunman finally died in a shootout with police.
Alexis, 34, was discharged in January 2011 for a “pattern of misconduct” in Fort Worth, Texas, moved to Washington about a month ago, and was hired by a Hewlett Packard subcontractor which updates computer systems at Navy and Marine Corps installations. He was to have started work at Navy Yard this month.
Despite the circumstances surrounding his discharge, Alexis apparently was issued a government contractor access card that would have allowed him into the Navy Yard and other military installations. His security clearance was updated in July.
The FBI which has undertaken the investigation will start by looking at his actions in the last year and his associates, as well as the cricumstances of his security clearance. The police are still looking for a second shooter while Washington, horrified by the crime and appalled by the killer’s ability to enter a high-security military headquarters, stays on high security alert.
debkafile reported in the course of the incident Monday:
The US Senate building was shut down as the FB I took over the investigation of the shooting rampage which left 12 people dead and many injured at the Navy Yard, Washington, Monday, Sept. 16. The gunman who was killed by police was identified as Aaron Alexis, 34, from Forth Worth Texas, who recently began work as a civilian contractor. There is no known motive for the attack, according to Washington police chief Cathy Lanier.
Of the two wanted shooters on the run one was cleared. As the third was hunted, parts of Washington went into lockdown and partial curfew. Employees were allowed to leave the Navy building. The “potential” shooter on the loose was described earlier as a black male, 40-50, wearing drab military style uniform and carrying a long gun.
debkafile: The participation of more than one gunman points to a coordinated attack on the US Naval Sea System Command HQ in Washington which caught security authorities unawares.
The building is home to some 3,000 personnel and located 5 km from the Capitol. At least a dozen fire trucks, armored vehicles, ambulances and police cars converged on the scene. Police snipers are being moved into place, as helicopters flew low over the building. Police from local and federal agencies responded along with Swat teams.
This command center focused in recent weeks on planning fleet preparations in the east Mediterranean for a US cruise missile strike on the Syrian chemical weapons that was later called off.
Two days ago, Al Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahiri issued a videotaped call for an adherent to carry out a “lone wolf attack” inside the United States.