Suspect in Shooting at Texas Military Base Identified as FBI Declares Incident 'Terrorism-Related'
The Thursday morning shooting at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi is being treated as an act of terrorism, according to FBI officials.
“We have determined that the incident this morning at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi is terrorism-related,” FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Leah Greeves said in a Thursday media conference.
At about 6:15 a.m., security forces responded to an active shooter at the Texas base, and he was quickly neutralized.
FBI agents confirmed that the shooter had been shot at the scene.
“The subject is deceased, the scene is still being processed,” Greeves said.
Although the agency declined to identify the shooter, two law enforcement sources familiar with the ongoing investigation identified him as a 20-year-old man named Adam Alsahli, according to CNN.
A preliminary investigation identified him as a U.S. resident born in Syria who is likely a supporter of Salafi-jihadist ideology, one of the sources said.
He reportedly drove to the base’s north gate, shot a female security officer wearing body armor in the chest and then began shooting before he was fatally shot by naval security forces.
Officials told The Associated Press that the security officer was able to roll over and hit a switch to raise a barrier and prevent Alsahli from getting further on the base.
She has since been discharged from the hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries.
In a tweet Thursday evening, the FBI said they “are not ruling out any possible motives [for the shooting] and continue to investigate all leads.”
We are not ruling out any possible motives and continue to investigate all leads. When we are able to release additional information, we will do so.
We are asking anyone with any information about today’s shooting to please call 1-800-CALL-FBI. (3 of 3)
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) May 22, 2020
“We are asking anyone with any information about today’s shooting to please call 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
Greeves said in the media conference that there might be a second suspect still at large in the community.
“We may have a potential second related person of interest at large in the community,” she said.
“But we would encourage the public to remain calm, and if you see something, say something.”
Naval Air Station Corpus Christi has supported pilot training and operations since 1941, according to its website.
The Corpus Christi Army Depot, the primary aviation depot maintenance for Department of Defense rotary-wing aircraft, is also located on the base.
Greeves said that investigation is ongoing and that the FBI is “working diligently with our state, local and federal partners on this investigation, which is fluid and evolving.”
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