NAS Pensacola shooting suspect identified as Saudi aviation student

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WEAR) — Four people are dead, including the suspect, after an active shooting incident at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.

ABC News has identified the shooter as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani. According to the Associated Press, Alshamrani is a Saudi aviation student. AP says investigators are working to determine if the shooting is terror-related.

The Pentagon says he started his training at NAS Pensacola in August 2017 and was scheduled to finish in August 2020.

Republican leaders are scrutinizing the U.S. Military’s training programs for foreign nationals.

"One of the things that I talked to the president about is given this was a foreign national in the employ of a foreign service is - and there will be time to do this but obviously the government of Saudi Arabia needs to make things better for these victims. I think they are going to owe a debt here given that this is one of their individuals,” says Governor Ron DeSantis.

The Pentagon also adds the Department of Defense (DOD)has over 5,000 foreign students from 153 countries in the U.S for security cooperation training and that every student is vetted by the DOD.

The NY Times reports that a person who was briefed early in the investigation says six other Saudi nationals were detained for questioning near the scene of the shooting, including three who were seen filming the entire incident.

WEAR has not been able to confirm this with local authorities.

According to Captain Tim Kinsella with NAS Pensacola, the shooter was training at the base. Capt. Kinsella says hundreds of people from across the world come to cross-train at NAS Pensacola and the base has always had international students.

On Friday, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) received a report of an active shooter at NAS Pensacola at 6:51 a.m.

NAS Pensacola says the shooting happened at Building 633 and spanned two floors.

When deputies arrived on scene, ECSO says deputies shot and killed the suspect.

Four people, including the shooter, have died in connection to the shooting incident. ECSO says the suspect and two victims were pronounced dead at the base. A fourth victim was taken to Baptist Hospital for treatment and later passed away.

Seven others injured were taken to Baptist Hospital for treatment. West Florida Hospital says they also treated one patient.

Sheriff David Morgan told Channel 3 News that the suspect used a handgun in the attack and two deputies were also shot. They were taken to Baptist Hospital for treatment, and one has been released. Sheriff Morgan said the other deputy suffered non-life threatening injuries.

"Walking through the crime scene was like being on the set of a movie," Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said in a press conference Friday morning.

No victims have been identified. NAS Pensacola says the names of the victims won’t be released until 24 hours after the next of kin has been notified.

Local law enforcement says FBI is heading the investigation, along with ATF and NCIS.

Capt. Kinsella says the base will stay on lockdown until further notice. NAS Pensacola Corry Station was placed on lockdown earlier on Friday, but that lockdown has been lifted.

Governor Ron DeSantis arrived at Pensacola around noon. He said mental health coordinators have been sent to speak with witnesses and the victims’ families.

DeSantis, President Donald Trump, and Rep. Matt Gaetz all took to social media to address the mass shooting.

This is the second shooting that occurred on a Navy base in the last week.