FBI says Texas naval base shooting is ‘terrorism-related’
A shooting at a Texas naval air station that wounded a sailor and left the gunman dead early Thursday was being investigated as “terrorism-related,” the FBI said, but divulged few details as to why.
At about 6:15 a.m., the gunman, who has not been identified, tried to speed through a security gate at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, opening fire and wounding the sailor, a member of base security, U.S. officials told the Associated Press. But she was able to roll over and hit the switch that raised a barrier, preventing the man from getting onto the base, the officials said.
Other security personnel shot and killed the man. There was an initial concern that he may have had an explosive device, but Navy experts swept the area and the car, and found nothing. Officials were still working to process the crime scene late into the day and had recovered some type of electronic media.
The base was on lockdown for about five hours, but it was lifted shortly before noon. The main gate, the North Gate, was reopened, though the South Gate where the incident occurred was still shut down.
FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Leah Greeves said at a news conference that investigators were working to determine whether a second person of interest was at large, but did not elaborate. She also would not discuss a potential motive or specify what led investigators to believe the shooting was related to terrorism.
“We have determined that the incident this morning at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi is terrorism-related,” Greeves said. “We are working diligently with our state, local and federal partners on this investigation, which is fluid and evolving.”
The FBI’s field office in Houston has taken the lead on the investigation, and neither investigators nor the Navy provided details on the shooter or a possible motive. Attorney General William Barr has also been briefed, a Justice Department spokeswoman said.
The injured sailor was discharged from a hospital where she was treated for minor injuries, according to a statement from the command.
The air station is surrounded by water on three sides and has been home to Naval pilot training since 1941, according to its website.