12 Victims Killed, 8 Wounded in Shooting at D.C. Navy Yard, Suspected Gunman Killed

A gunman killed 12 people and injured eight inside a heavily secured building at the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard Monday, in one of the worst mass shootings ever at a U.S. military facility, and one of the deadliest single events ever in the nation's capital.

The suspected gunman, 34-year-old Aaron Alexis of Fort Worth, Texas, was also killed. Alexis had served as a Petty Officer in the Navy between 2007 and 2011, and had beenpreviously arrested in gun-related incidents. 

Those killed ranged in age from 46 to 73, according to D.C. Police. Officials released the following victims' names Monday night:

• Michael Arnold, 59
• Sylvia Frasier, 53
• Kathy Gaarde, 62
• John Roger Johnson, 73
• Frank Kohler, 50
• Kenneth Bernard Proctor, 46
• Vishnu Pandit, 61

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray reported late Monday eight individuals were injured, including a D.C. police officer, identified as Scott Williams, who was shot in the leg while responding to the shooting. After being in surgery for hours, doctors say they hope he will be able to walk again.

None of the fatalities is reported to be military personnel. The rest of the injured individuals suffered non-life threatening injuries and are expected to recover.

Via: NBC Washington

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Aaron Alexis, 34, is dead gunman in Navy Yard shooting, authorities say

By Carol D. Leonnig, Marjorie Censer and David A. Fahrenthold,

The dead gunman in Monday’s shooting at the Washington Navy Yard is Aaron Alexis, 34, a Navy veteran who was discharged after he was arrested in a shooting incident—but was later hired by a government subcontractor.

Police said it was unclear if Alexis acted alone, or how he accessed the tightly guarded Navy Yard. As of Monday evening, authorities also are still searching for another person: a black man in his 40s with gray sideburns, wearing an olive-drab military-style uniform.

Alexis, a native of New York City, worked for a company called The Experts, a subcontractor to Hewlett Packard on a federal contract to work on the Navy Marine Corps Intranet network, according to a statement from Hewlett Packard. It was unclear if Alexis was still employed by that subcontractor, or if his work took him to the Navy Yard.

Alexis died at the scene of Monday’s shooting, in which at least 12 other people died. D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray said no motive is known.

By Monday afternoon, a portrait of Alexis had begun to emerge. He lived until recently in Fort Worth, where he was seen frequently at a Buddhist temple, meditating and helping out. He was pursuing a bachelor’s of science degree in aeronautics as an online student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

But Alexis also had been accused in at least two prior shooting incidents, one in Fort Worth and one in Seattle, according to police reports.

Via: Washington Post

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Following Navy Yard Shooting, Dianne Feinstein Calls for Stricter Gun-Control Laws

The California Democrat tried and failed to pass new measures after the Newtown tragedy. The First .357 times did not work.  Try, Try again.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, one of the Senate's leading voices on gun control, called for stricter gun laws in the aftermath of Monday's killings at Washington's Navy Yard.

The California Democrat said the deaths of the 12 people Monday were at the hands of a man armed with an AR-15, a shotgun, and a semiautomatic handgun, although details of his weapons have not been confirmed.

Her statement reads in part:

This is one more event to add to the litany of massacres that occur when a deranged person or grievance killer is able to obtain multiple weapons—including a military-style assault rifle—and kill many people in a short amount of time. When will enough be enough? Congress must stop shirking its responsibility and resume a thoughtful debate on gun violence in this country. We must do more to stop this endless loss of life.

She is one of the first prominent lawmakers to make the case for stricter gun laws in the aftermath of Monday's shooting, although several pundits reacted while the incident was still under way.

Feinstein failed several months ago in her effort to ban military-style assault rifles, among other measures. Republicans, worried about the impact these laws would have on the Second Amendment and law-abiding gun owners, helped defeat new gun-control measures.

Dan Gross, the president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, connected the several mass shootings in recent years to Monday's shooting in Washington.

While it is too early to know what policies might have prevented this latest tragedy, we do know that policies that present a real opportunity to save lives sit stalled in Congress, policies that could prevent many of the dozens of deaths that result every day from gun violence.  As long as our leaders in Congress ignore the will of the people and do not listen to those voices, we will hold them accountable. We hope Congress will listen to the voice of the people and take up legislation that will create a safer America.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., delayed a hearing on "Stand Your Ground" laws that was scheduled for Tuesday morning in light of the shooting at the Navy Yard. Sybrina Fulton, the mother of deceased Florida teen Trayvon Martin, was among the witnesses set to testify.

Via: National Journal

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Washington Navy Yard the 'beating heart of the United States Navy'

The Washington Navy Yard, where police were responding to a shooter Monday morning, may not be one of the capital's most well-known facilities. But it serves as a major headquarters for several Navy divisions. 

Fox News security analyst K.T. McFarland described it as the "beating heart of the United States Navy." 

One of the most prominent facilities, which is where the shooter at one point was reported, is the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters. This headquarters is the office for about 3,000 people.  The command's job is to "engineer, build, buy and maintain ships" and other systems, according to the Navy. Its annual budget is nearly $30 billion -- accounting for a quarter of Navy spending. 

Capt. Chuck Nash, former Navy captain, said the command's principle job is "acquisition" and not military operations. 

"It's mostly a civilian organization," he told Fox News. 

Details about the shooting are still emerging. Navy officials say at least 10 people have been shot, including multiple dead. 

The Navy Yard as a whole has been in operation since the early 19th century. It is the Navy's oldest shore establishment, and went from being a shipbuilding center to an ordnance plant. Now it is described as the "ceremonial and administrative center" for the U.S. Navy. 

Via: Fox News

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‘You may not leave’: Senate went into lock down after Navy Yard shooting

UPDATE: In a 4:16 p.m. email, the Senate sergeant at arms emailed staff saying, “I am lifting the portion of the lock down which required you to remain in the buildings.”

In explaining the original move, he wrote, “While this [lock down] approach is inconvenient, it is at times necessary. The lessons of Boston, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, and Aurora are clear, and just still too raw.”

WASHINGTON – The Senate complex in the Capitol Building has been locked down after a shooting at the nearby Navy Yard early Monday morning.

UPDATE: In a 4:16 p.m. email, the Senate sergeant at arms emailed staff saying, “I am lifting the portion of the lock down which required you to remain in the buildings.”

In explaining the original move, he wrote, “While this [lock down] approach is inconvenient, it is at times necessary. The lessons of Boston, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, and Aurora are clear, and just still too raw.”

WASHINGTON – The Senate complex in the Capitol Building has been locked down after a shooting at the nearby Navy Yard early Monday morning.

Via: Daily Caller

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CNN anchor: Who ever heard of a gunman rampaging across a U.S. military facility?

CNN Must be new to the news business.  Were they around in 2009?

Via Newsbusters. As Santayana said, those who do not learn from history are condemned to broadcast their ignorance about it on national cable news.

Probably 80 percent of the public, I’d guess, thought of Nidal Hasan when they heard the news this morning. I’m one of them; it occurred to me that maybe this was revenge from a sympathizer for the death sentence he got a few weeks ago. Here’s the very latest as I’m writing this at a little past noon ET, though:

That smells like real workplace violence, not the euphemistic version that the Pentagon wants you to believe Hasan engaged in. But if it’s workplace violence, how to explain this?
A workplace violence conspiracy involving multiple shooters is unlikely, needless to say. And it seems … odd that the top cop in the District would casually tell the public that there may or may not be two mass murderers still roaming around. Good luck out there, Washingtonians.

The death toll at the moment is six. At least one shooter, possibly the only one, is also dead.

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Touré Investigates ‘Workplace Violence’ Angle For Navy Yard Shooter… Who Didn’t Work There

MSNBC host Touré spoke to a psychologist on Monday and asked him to spell out some of the behavioral signs that may indicate a coworker was planning on engaging in “workplace violence,” similar to what he indicated had occurred at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday morning. Except for the minor detail that shooting suspectAaron Alexis did not work at the Navy Yard and used the identification of a former employee to illegally access the secure military site. 

“We don’t know what the motive here is at all, no idea if we’ll find that out ever, but there are some — it does seem somewhat consistent with some of the things we’ve seen before in terms of workplace violence,” Touré began. “Let’s talk about workplace violence in general. What are the commonalties that you tend to see in those incidents where people return with a firearm?”

RELATED: NBC’s Pete Williams Identifies Navy Yard Gunman As Aaron Alexis, 34, of Ft. Worth, TX

Dr. Larry James, the associate vice president of Wright State University, replied that disheveled appearance, appearing to have “gone off the edge,” or coming to work with a weapon were good indications that “workplace violence” might be imminent.

Earlier in the day, multiple sources – including the police – confirmed that several suspects were wanted in connection with this attack. AT the time of this broadcast, only one of those suspects had been cleared by police. The second remains at large.

Furthermore, multiple reports indicate that Alexis never worked at the Navy Yard, though he was a civilian contractor. Reports indicate that Alexis used the identification of a former Navy Yard employeeto gain access to that site, but it is not yet clear if he was given that identification or he stole it.

Watch the clip below via MSNBC:

Via: Mediaite.com

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At least 12 dead in Navy Yard rampage; one shooter dead, hunt on for two more

Mayor Vincent Gray said at least 12 people were killed in the Navy Yard rampage as D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier revealed one shooter was killed at the scene and authorities are looking for two other men who may also have been involved in the attack.

Authorities have identified the dead shooter as a Navy employee whose work status had been changed earlier this year, a federal government official told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak on the record.

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PHOTOS: Chaos amid shooting rampage at Washington Navy Yard

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While that may suggest the motive was job related, authorities haven’t ruled out anything, including terrorism, the official said.

A senior federal law enforcement official said authorities were investigating whether the main shooter, a black male, was motivated by a dispute with employees at the Navy Yard.

Authorities were still clearing the building early Monday afternoon but expected the death toll could reach as high as eight people, including the shooter, said the official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity.

The two at large suspects were dressed in military garb but are not believed to be U.S. service personnel, Lanier said.

One was a young white man in a khaki like uniform and the other was a black man in his 50s with a long rifle in an olive colored garb, she said.

Lanier said there were multiple fatalities at the scene but exact numbers were not immediately.

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SEE ALSO: Obama briefed on Navy Yard rampage

A Navy spokesman said early Monday that four people were killed and eight wounded in shooting at the Washington Navy Yard — though the death toll is expected to climb.

Capt. Ed Buclatin, a spokesman at Naval Installations Command, which is based at the Navy Yard, tweeted:

#BREAKING: 4 killed and 8 injured. One shooter down #NavyYardShooting #Navy #CNICHQ

The Associated Press reported six people were dead, though it was unclear if that figure included the shooter. More than a dozen people were injured.

Multiple media reports said at least two attackers were involved in the rampage. 

Mayor Vincent Gray said officials are still working to determine the number of fatalities during a press conference at noon.

Buclatin said all the injuries occurred in the Building 197, which is home to the Naval Sea Systems Command.

Via: Washington Times

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Obama vows justice for those behind 'cowardly act' at Navy Yard

President Obama vowed Monday to hold responsible those who carried out the "cowardly" mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, while calling the victims "patriots" who served their nation. 

Details are still emerging about the shooting. Officials say one gunman is dead, but two others may be at large. At least 10 people were shot, and Obama said "some have been killed." 

"We are confronting yet another mass shooting, and today it happened on a military installation in the nation's capital," Obama said. 

The president had planned to speak Monday morning to address the five-year anniversary of the financial crisis. He went on to discuss his economic agenda, saying it's been his "No. 1 priority," but addressed the shooting at the top and spent the morning being briefed by his security team. 

A White House official said counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco and Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromanaco are keeping the president updated on the shooting. 

Obama lamented that those caught in the crossfire on Monday knew of the dangers abroad, but "today they faced the unimaginable violence that they wouldn't have expected here at home." 

Via: Fox News

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Full transcript: President Obama’s Sept. 16 speech on the economy and the navy yard shooting

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good Afternoon Everybody.

Please have a seat. Before I begin, let me say a few words about the tragedy that’s unfolding not far away from here, at the Washington Navy Yard. That’s part of why our event today was delayed.

I’ve been briefed by my team on the situation. We still don’t know all the facts. But we do know that several people have been shot, and some have been killed. So we are confronting yet another mass shooting. And today it happened on a military installation in our nation’s capital. It’s a shooting that targeted our military and civilian personnel.

These are men and women who were going to work, going their job protecting all of us. They’re patriots. And they know the dangers of serving abroad, but today they faced the unimaginable violence that they wouldn’t have expected here at home.

So we offer our gratitude to the Navy and local law enforcement, federal authorities and the doctors who’ve responded with skill and bravery. I’ve made it clear to my team that I want the investigation to be seamless so that federal and local authorities are working together. And as this investigation moves forward, we will do everything in our power to make sure whoever carried out this cowardly act is held responsible.

In the meantime, we send our thoughts and prayers to all at the Navy Yard who’ve been touched by this tragedy. We thank them for their service. We stand with the families of those who’ve been harmed. They’re gonna need our love and support.

And as we learn more about the courageous Americans who died today, their lives, their families, their patriotism, we will honor their service to the nation they helped to make great. And obviously, we’re gonna be investigating thoroughly what happened, as we do so many of these shootings, sadly, that have happened, and do everything that we can to try to prevent them.

Via Washington Post

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Fort Hood 2009? CNN Anchor Can't Remember the Last Shooting at 'U.S. Military Facility'

During CNN's live coverage of Monday's shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, anchor Carol Costello asked when the last time was that a gunman wreaked "havoc at a U.S. military facility." In 2009, a jihadist killed 13 in a mass-shooting at Fort Hood in Texas.

"I used to work in Washington, live in Washington. This seems so unusual to me that a gunman could create this kind of havoc at a U.S. military facility," Costello stated. "Have you ever heard of it happening before, Brian?" she asked correspondent Brian Todd, reporting live from the vicinity of the shooting. [Video below the break. Audio here.]

Costello added that "this is so unusual, because this is such a heavily-secured military facility. I've worked in Washington for many years, I've never heard of such a thing happening." She may have been referring to shootings at military bases near Washington, D.C., though her question simply referred to a "U.S. military facility."

Below is a transcript of the exchange, which aired on CNN Newsroom on September 16 at 10:01 a.m. EDT:

CAROL COSTELLO: I used to work in Washington, live in Washington. This seems so unusual to me that a gunman could create this kind of havoc at a U.S. military facility.

BRIAN TODD: Yes.

COSTELLO: Have you ever heard of it happening before, Brian?

TODD: I'm sorry, Carol. I missed that question. Could you repeat it please?

COSTELLO: I was just saying that this is so unusual, because this is such a heavily-secured military facility. I've worked in Washington for many years, I've never heard of such a thing happening.

TODD: Well, we haven't either in this area, Carol. This is the first time we've seen something like this, at least in many, many years. Now you remember the Fort Hood shooting in 2009, where that was a member of the service who was convicted eventually of doing that shooting.

Via: Newsbusters

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Russian Official Gloats Over Navy Yard Shooting

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With multiple people injured and the gunman still at large, a member of Russia’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee says the shooting is an example of “American exceptionalism.”

Pushkov didn’t seem to understand the outcry in the U.S. over his comments:“The torrent of hate towards us from American citizens is staggering. One writes: ‘It seems that we (that is, the U.S.) saved you from the Germans during WWII for nothing’!!!”

Алексей Пушков@Alexey_PushkovFollow

Поток ненависти к нам от амер.граждан поразителен. Один пишет:"Видимо, мы ( т.е. США) зря спасли вас от немцев во второй мировой войне"!!!

8:45 AM - 16 Sep 13

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Pushkov was tweeting based off unconfirmed reports of the shooting, the exact number of victims of which is still unknown. The Associated Press cited a Pentagon official as saying that several people were killed and as many as 10 injured.

Pushkov is not the first Russian lawmaker to gloat at the U.S. on Twitter after the White House accepted a Kremlin proposal to avert a strike on Syria. Last Friday, a Duma colleague and former Olympic athlete tweeted a racist photo of Barack and Michelle Obama, then refused to apologize.

Via: Buzz Feed

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UPDATE: Six Dead, at Least Four Injured in Shootings at Washington Navy Yard

At least one gunman opened fire inside a building at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday morning, and officials said six people were killed and at least four were wounded, including at least one law enforcement officer.

Police were looking for two other potential gunmen wearing military-style uniforms, including one who had on a beret, chief Cathy Lanier said. One had a long gun and the other was also armed, she said. One of the three gunmen had died, though Lanier didn't say how.

Ed Zeigler, director of public affairs for Naval District Washington, said two suspected shooters are "down." The shootings occurred about 8:20 a.m.

President Barack Obama, in remarks Monday afternoon, called the shooting victims "patriots." Targeting military personnel and civilians, he said, was a "cowardly" act. He described the shootings as an act of "unimaginable violence."

Witnesses described a gunman opening fire from the fourth floor, aiming down on people in the first-floor cafeteria. Others said a gunman fired at them in a third-floor hallway.

As witnesses emerged from the building, a helicopter hovered over the building, schools were on lockdown and airplanes at nearby Reagan National Airport were briefly grounded. 

CNN reported an increase in security at the Pentagon and other military installations in the Washington area. 

Less than 2 miles away, security was beefed up at the Capitol, but officials said there was no known threat there. President Barack Obama was getting frequent briefings on the shooting.

Via: Newsmax

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