The shooting carried out by a Saudi aviation student at Naval Air Station Pensacola in December was an “act of terrorism,” Attorney General William Barr said Monday as authorities released their findings on an investigation into the attack.
Barr said the gunman, identified as Saudi Arabian Air Force 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, was "motivated by jihadist ideology." His comments come as the U.S. is expelling 21 Saudi nationals who live in America and, like Alshamrani, trained with the U.S. military at facilities including NAS Pensacola.
Barr added that Alshamrani, during last year's anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, also posted a message online that "the countdown has begun" and later traveled to New York City to visit the 9/11 Memorial on Thanksgiving weekend.
Alshamrani ultimately ended up killing three U.S. sailors and severely wounding eight other Americans in the Dec. 6 attack, Barr said.
Many of the 21 cadets who are being expelled had contact with child pornography and possessed jihadist or anti-American material, Barr said.
The revelation comes after a law enforcement source told Fox News earlier in the day that "more than a dozen" Saudi nationals who were part of the training program -- who have ties to extremist groups -- were set to be sent back home. Those individuals are not linked to the Pensacola shooting though, the source added.
Source: NAS Pensacola shooting was an 'act of terrorism' as US to expel Saudi nationals training there, Barr says
09 Dec 2019, 10:48 am
