Naval Air Station Shooter Reportedly Condemned US as 'Evil' Ahead of Deadly Attack
The Saudi Arabian Air Force officer who killed three people Friday at Pensacola Naval Air Station condemned the United States as “evil” prior to the shooting, according to a new report.
Eight people were wounded in the attack, including two deputies who responded to the shooting.
The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors terrorist activity, said that Mohammed al-Shamrani, a second lieutenant, posted a document on Twitter that said, “I’m against evil, and America as a whole has turned into a nation of evil,” according to Agence France Presse.
“I’m not against you for just being American, I don’t hate you because your freedoms, I hate you because every day you supporting, funding and committing crimes not only against Muslims but also humanity,” he reportedly wrote.
The Twitter account that posted the message was later taken down. Officials had not yet confirmed that the manifesto was posted by the shooter.
A few hours before the terrorist died, he left this message in his account. He is against American government’s support of Israel and American troop existence in the Middle East. Can you find any difference between that and the Muslim Brotherhood ideology? pic.twitter.com/4cLeVunzTR
— ??﮼متعب Mitib (@MitibAlghamdi) December 7, 2019
The post also included a quote from former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden that read, “Your decision-makers, the politicians, the lobbyists and the major corporations are the ones gaining from your foreign policy, and you are the ones paying the price for it,” according to The New York Times.
The manifesto attacked the United States for “funding crimes against Muslims” and supporting Israel.
“You will not be safe until we live it as reality in [Palestine], and American troops get out of our land,” it said, according to The Washington Post.
Rita Katz, the director of the SITE Intelligence Group, tweeted that she believed the incident was terrorism.
BREAKING: Tweet by #Pensacola attacker Alshamrani suggests terrorist motive. Does not claim allegiance to any group, but echos Bin Laden: “The security is a shared destiny…You will not be safe until we live it as reality in [Palestine], and American troops get out of our land.” pic.twitter.com/KALH4PXYKy
— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) December 7, 2019
2) The issue of #Jerusalem seems to have been a critical point of Shamrani’s anger. His second-most recent of his tweets (just before his will) was an RT of Trump’s December 2017 Jerusalem speech, made sometime in the last 48 hours. pic.twitter.com/wjP7FMzZXW
— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) December 7, 2019
The Times reported that six Saudi nationals were detained for questioning. Three of the six were reportedly seen filming the shooting, The Times reported, citing what it called “a person briefed on the initial stages of the investigation.”
Officials later determined that the gunman acted alone, The Times reported.
Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida said that he believes, based on the information given to him, that the incident was an act of terrorism.
“I’ve had some discussions with law enforcement on the ground, and my assessment after those discussions is that this is unequivocally an act of terror,” he said.
“Whether this individual was motivated by radical Islam or was simply mentally unstable, this was an act of terrorism,” Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida told The Washington Post.
The Glock 45 9-millimeter handgun used in the shooting was purchased in the Pensacola area, The Times reported.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
