COUNTING THE DAYS FROM 9/11
Saudi killer’s hate posts
The Saudi air force lieutenant who killed three people on a Pensacola, Fla., US naval base wrote a social-media post saying “the countdown has started” on Sept. 11 — just months before his attack, according to a report.
Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, 21, posted the message four months before shooting up Naval Air Station Pensacola on Dec. 6, ABC News reported, citing a Joint Intelligence Bulletin released by the federal government Friday.
In other posts, he referred to nonMuslims on social media as “infidels,” defended jihad and criticized the US, according to the report.
Another post contained remarks similar to a statement from American-born terrorist Anwar al Awlaki, who was killed in a 2011 drone strike.
“I’m against evil, and America as a whole has turned into a nation of evil,” one post said. “What I see from America is the supporting of Israel which is invasion of Muslim countries, I see invasion of many countries by its troops, I see Guantanamo Bay. I see cruise missiles, cluster bombs and UAV.”
UAV stands for unmanned aerial vehicle and refers to military drones.
Officials have previously said there were posts on Twitter, uncovered under a social-media handle similar to Alshamrani’s name, but they were still investigating whether he authored the messages.
A Twitter account under the gunman’s name has been deleted, but archives show the handle tweeted anti-American messages right before the shooting.
“I’m not against you for just being American, I don’t hate you because your freedoms, I hate you because every day you supporting, funding and committing crimes not only against Muslims but also humanity,” one reads.
Alshamrani was a member of the Royal Saudi Air Force and was attending pilot training when he went on the shooting spree.
He used a legally purchased Glock 9mm gun to kill three and injure eight, including two sheriffs deputies, before one of the deputies shot him dead, officials said.
Alshamrani bought the firearm by exploiting a federal loophole that allows foreign nationals to legally purchase weapons for hunting, according to the FBI.
The rampage lasted around 15 minutes and involved him shooting bullets directly at pictures of President Trump, ABC reported.
Alshamrani allegedly hosted a dinner party earlier in the week where he and three other Saudi students watched videos of mass shootings, a US official said.
He also visited New York City with other Saudi nationals just days before the attack — including a trip to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, law-enforcement sources have told The Post.
Investigators were able to trace Alshamrani and a pal to the site near Ground Zero because one of them made a purchase in the gift shop, according to the sources.
The FBI has said it is investigating the shooting with the “presumption” that it was a terror attack.
“Our unified goal remains clear: to determine if the shooter acted alone or if anyone assisted, provided support for, or had knowledge of his attack in advance,” the agency said in a statement.