Deadly shooting stuns Capitol

By FinalCall.com News | Last updated: Sep 17, 2013 - 1:22:03 PM

A man wounded in the Washington Navy Yard shooting, Washington, D.C.

(FinalCall.com) - Eleanor Holmes Norton, the D.C. Delegate to Congress from the District of Columbia, called a deadly shooting at a naval facility in the city a tragedy that is taken personally.

She was speaking about a Sept. 16 shooting rampage authorities said was perpetrated by Aaron Alexis. Officials said they were seeking another person and the FBI was calling for help in learning more about the alleged gunman who authorities said was killed by officers.

Aaron Alexis

Mayor Vincent Gray said the incident left 13 people dead and others injured. “We don’t know what the motive is,” said Mayor Gray. “We don’t have any reason to suspect terrorism at this stage but we certainly have not ruled it out,” he added. Initial reports of the shootings came shortly after 8 a.m.

The violent outbreak at the Washington Navy Yard stunned the city, leading to lockdowns on Capitol Hill and Reagan National Airport. Access to the area was also shut off. A baseball game was also postponed. Families and employees in the area were reuniting at National Stadium. Ms. Norton called the Navy Yard the anchor for redevelopment in this section of the Southeast area of the city.

In a press conference broadcast live over CNN, officials said the alleged shooter was identified by fingerprints and ID. Photos distributed by the FBI showed the shooter as a Black male.

Federal authorities and local officials took part in the press conference. A police officer was also shot in both legs, according to a local D.C. official.

The alleged gunman was described by media outlets as a possible worker for a military contractor and a former military person.

The incident took place at the headquarters for Naval Sea Systems Command, media outlets reported.

Emergency services at the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C. Photos: MGN Online

“We still don’t know all the facts. But we do know that several people have been shot and some have been killed,” President Barack Obama early the day of the shooting. “So we are confronting yet another mass shooting. And today it happened on a military installation in our nation’s capital.”

Military workers violence “we wouldn’t have expected here at home,” he added. Vice President Joe Biden called the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard is a “God-awful reminder” of the need for Americans to stay vigilant. He said he’s confident the nation will get to the bottom of the situation, the Associated Press reported.

The AP said one source said Mr. Alexis was a 34-yearold from Texas. He is believed to have a criminal record there and to be a holder of a concealed carry weapon permit, according to news services.

That official says Alexis is believed to have gotten into the Navy Yard by using someone else’s identification card, AP said. It is not yet clear if that individual was an accomplice or if that person’s ID card was stolen, AP added.

Media accounts changed quickly in the chaos. Police, however, were looking for one other possible gunman at Final Call press time.

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