Washington Naval Yard gunman Aaron Alexis began treatment for serious mental illness in August as friends of the shooter today revealed he was devastated last year when a Thai girlfriend left him broken-hearted.
According to anonymous law enforcement officials, Alexis, 34, sought treatment from the Veterans Administration for paranoia, insomnia and possible schizophrenia just one month before his shooting rampage which claimed the lives of 12 people on Monday.
Prior to this, Alexis visited Thailand in 2012 where he spent his time frequenting massage parlors and was crushed when a girl he liked rejected his offer to come and live with him in the United States because the woman 'didn't like black people.'
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Thai Vacation: Washington Naval Yard gunman Aaron Alexis on holiday in Thailand last year (The identity of the woman with the blurred face is not known)
Indeed, such was Alexis' fascination with Thai culture, Buddhism and Thai people that he traveled to the south east Asian country in March and April of 2012.
According to the UK's Channel 4 News, he spent 45 days in the country and was shown around by Parin Suthamtewakul, a relative of Nutpisit Suthamtewaku.
Gunman: According to NBC Washington, this man Aaron Alexis, 34, from Fort Worth, Texas is the Navy Yard shooter. A background check has revealed that this is the police mugshot for Alexis who was arrested but not charged for firing a gun in his apartment in 2010
Alexis worked at Nutpisit's Happy Bowl Thai restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas for a time earlier this year and lived with the owner and his wife.
He was escorted to a number of tourist centers in Korat, the north east of Thailand and a beach resort called Hua Hin.
There he celebrated the Thai new year festival of Songkran, which celebrates water and Alexis is seen in the above picture obtained exclusively by Channel 4 News brandishing a water-gun.
However, instead of exploring his Buddhist faith, Alexis spent his time frequenting massage parlors and even developed a crush on a Thai girl.
The former Navy reservist was upset however when she rejected his offer to come back and live with him in the United States.
Channel 4 also learned from Nutpisit that Alexis also complained of racial discrimination at the hands of his countrymen - suggesting a deep-rooted alienation.
'He didn't have any American friends,' said Nutpisit Suthamtewakul. 'His only friends were Thais because they were nice to him.'
Suthamtewakul added that Alexis was 'good at shooting and really interested in guns' and 'owned one gun'.
The Happy Bowl owner said that Alexis had moved out of his home around May after there was tension with Mr Suthamtewakul's wife over their pet cats.
Collecting guns: Alexis reportedly brought only one gun with him to the Navy Yard and procured two others during the shooting spree
He said he had not heard from Alexis in the weeks before the shooting and had believed he was flying to Japan as part of his government contractor job.
Ty Thairintr, a congregant at Wat Budsaya, a Buddhist temple in Fort Worth which Alexis would attend, said: 'We are all shocked. We are nonviolent. Aaron was a very good practitioner of Buddhism. He could chant better than even some of the Thai congregants.'
Thairintr said Alexis told him he was upset with the Navy because 'he thought he never got a promotion because of the color of his skin. He hated his commander'.
The new revelations regarding his treatment are significant because despite his psychiatric problems, the Navy did not declare him mentally unfit which would have rescinded his security clearance and impacted his ability to purchase firearms.
Indeed, Alexis had 'secret' clearance and was assigned to start working at the naval yard as a civilian contractor with a military-issued ID card, his contracting firm's chief executive Thomas Hoshko said today.
Nutpisit Suthamtewakul, owner of Happy Bowl Thai in Fort Worth said he lived with Alexis for three years and his best friend 'didn't seem aggressive' but liked to meditate
Friends: Restaurant owner Oui Suthamtewakul, right, and Michael Ritrovato speak about working with Aaron Alexis , who was once employed by Suthamtewakul
Speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing criminal investigation, law enforcement officials said that Alexis' family were aware of his mental problems, which included hearing voices in his head.
Sources with the investigation into the mass shooting told CNN that Alexis had recently made contact with two Veterans Administration hospitals for his psychological issues.
According to a report in the New York Times, Alexis suffered a decade of mental health problems since at least his early 20s.
In the past Alexis has previously claimed to be suffering from PTSD after helping rescue efforts in New York following the 9/11 terror attacks.
This comes as it was claimed that Alexis was a 'hardcore drinker' who loved to play violent zombie video games, Nutpisit Suthamtewakul revealed.
He said on Monday to the UK's Daily Telegraph that he had known Aaron Alexis for three years and that they were drinking buddies as well as roommates.
Another friend Michael Ritrovato also said that he had watched Alexis playing violent video games that involved shooting such as Call of Duty.
Gunman: This photo provided by Kristi Kinard Suthamtewakul shows Aaron Alexis in Fort Worth, Texas. The FBI has identified Alexis, 34, as the gunman in the Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 shooting rampage in Washington
Mr Suthamtewakul said that he would bring his friend food during gaming sessions that would last for hours.
Mr Ritrovato, a 50-year-old government worker and New York native, said that Alexis, an African-American, had complained to him that he was the victim of racial discrimination.
However Mr Suthamtewakul said that his friend was a recently-converted Buddhist who liked to meditate.
This comes as a Navy official speaking to the Washington Post on condition of anonymity claimed that Alexis was cited on at least eight occasions for misconduct during his service from 2007 to his honorable discharge in 2011.
Among the offenses he was cited for were traffic tickets and arriving for work late.
The Morning After: A member of the military arrives for work at the front gate of the Washington Naval Yard September 17, 2013 in Washington, DC
Respect: The American flags surrounding the Washington Monument fly at half-staff as ordered by President Barack Obama following the deadly shooting on Monday at the Washington Navy Yard
Salute: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, right, leads a delegation at the Navy Memorial in Washington to remember the victims of Monday's deadly shooting at the Washington Navy Yard on Tuesday
Clues: Investigators enter a Residence Inn hotel where it is believed the gunman involved in the Washington Navy Yard shooting had been staying prior to the attack
Remembering: Two women embrace while reuniting at a gathering point for family members of Navy Yard employees that was set up inside Nationals Park in the wake of the shootingas Brittany Carter holds a candle in remembrance at last nights vigil
However, he was also reprimanded for more serious behavior such as insubordination, disorderly conduct and many, unauthorized absences from his service.
He was also given an administrative sanction when he was arrested by police in DeKalb County, Georgia, in August 2008 and spent two nights in jail.
It had been incorrectly reported that Alexis had been given a general discharge, when in fact he had been issued with an honorable discharge on January 31st, 2011.
A general discharge would have indicated that there was a problem with his service and performance and would also have impacted on the veteran's benefits he received and his health insurance for medical problems.
Gunman Aaron Alexis was shot dead by responding officers after he opened fire inside a Navy facility around 8:20 a.m. on Monday morning, killing 12 people aged 46-73.
It emerged today that he used three guns during the massacre, two handguns and a shotgun.
Policemen string police tape outside the Brooklyn residence Cathleen Alexis, mother of suspected Washington Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis, in New York September 16, 2013
Apartment house where Frank Calderon, step-father of accused DC Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis lives near Richmond, Virginia
Sources told News4 in Washington D.C that surveillance footage showed that he began his attack with a shotgun, but was found with two 9mm pistol's.
NBC News correspondent Pete Williams is reporting Alexis purchased a shotgun in Lorton, Virginia during the past week or so.
It was originally reported that he had seized an AR-15, although law enforcement officials said on Tuesday that this was not the case.
Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that an AR-15 was found at the scene. One of them said Tuesday that Alexis did not use that weapon in the shootings.
It was not immediately clear whether the rifle belonged to a law enforcement or security officer responding to the gun battle.
Alexis is assumed to have seized two firearms from two victims on the military base on the Anacostia River in Washington D.C.
He was killed in one of several running gun battles with police after he entered the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters and started picking off victims in a cafeteria from a fourth-floor atrium, witnesses said.
The shooter's family lives in a run-down area of Brooklyn called Bedford-Stuyvesant, which was known in the 1980s for being at the center of New York's crack epidemic.
His mother Cathleen, 60, lives in a fourth floor walk up apartment worth $130,000 with other relatives.
The street was then sealed off by police and FBI agents who stood guard outside and refused to let anybody onto the side of the street where the house is.
Later the gunman's brother-in-law Anthony Little, who is married to Alexis' sister Naomi, 31, arrived and said: 'The family are distraught...They're shocked'.
Eddie Weingart of Project End Gun Violence speaks to members of the media during a candlelight vigil at Freedom Plaza on September 16, 2013 in Washington, DC
Victim: Arthur Daniels, right, was a sub-contractor relocating and installing office furniture at government offices
Mr Little said it had been several years since had Alexis spoken with his family in Brooklyn.
He added: 'He is not as close as the normal person with his family.'
The stepfather of gunman Aaron Alexis was "shattered" after discovering his son had gone on a deadly rampage.
Frank Calderon discovered his son had killed 12 people after two FBI agents showed up at his home in Virginia.
Calderon,47, was interviewed for over an hour by the agents as they tried to piece together the last movements of the former Navy reservist.
'He had no idea anything was wrong until the FBI showed up at his door,"said a friend who shares his apartment near Richmond, Virginia.
"Frank talked with them for over an hour. He was pretty shattered when I saw him afterwards.
'There were two agents and they talked to him inside. I guess they wanted to know all about Aaron.
'You can imagine how he feels. He wanted to do all he could to help.This is just tragic and I know he feels sorry for all the victims.'
Devastated: Daniels' wife Priscilla, pictured, was inconsolable after hearing the tragic news Monday night
Calderon lived with Alexis's mother Carmen in Brooklyn, New York, before relocating to Virginia.
Investigators will be anxious to find out if Alexis met with Calderon when he was in Virginia buying the weapons that were used in the Navy Yard shooting.
Alexis, who it was revealed had been suffering from mental illness and hearing voices in his head, legally bought the guns at a store in Lorton, Virginia.
That set off pandemonium, with fire alarms sounding and security officers yelling at people to leave the building. Hundreds fled, some scrambling over walls to escape the gunfire. A loudspeaker announcement ordered those who remained to stay in their offices.
The motive for the mass shooting - the deadliest on a military installation in the U.S. since the tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009 - was a mystery, investigators said.
But a profile of the lone gunman, a 34-year-old Aaron Alexis, was coming into focus. He was described as a Buddhist who had also had flares of rage, complained about the Navy and being a victim of discrimination and had several run-ins with law enforcement, including two shootings.
Eight people were injured including three who were shot, Washington Mayor Vincent Gray said. Those killed were aged 46 to 73, he said. Investigations continued into the circumstances of their deaths.
Victims: 54-year-old Martin Bodrog of Annandale, Virginia perished in the mass shooting committed by Aaron Alexis as did (far right in grey) Kathy Gaarde, 62
Mary DeLorenzo Knight, a 51-one-year-old mother, was one of the victims shot dead on Monday
This photo provided by the family of Frank Kohler shows the 50-year-old man from Tall Timbers, Maryland (left) while (right) Kenneth Proctor, 46 has been named as another victim
They are, according to Washington's Metropolitan Police Department: Michael Arnold, 59; Sylvia Frasier, 53; Kathy Gaarde, 62; John Roger Johnson, 73;Frank Kohler, 50; Kenneth Bernard Proctor, 46; Arthur Daniels, 51, Martin Bodrog, 54, Richard Michael Ridgell, 52, Gerald L. Read, 58, Mary Knight, 51 and Vishnu Pandit, 61.
Authorities said none of the victims were known to have been active-duty military personnel.
Terror at the Washington Naval Yard: How events Unfolded:
- 08.20am: Shots reported fired at Building 179 on the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters in Washington D.C. where about 3,000 people work.
- 08.30am: Base police enter the building following reports of an active shooter
- 08.40am: First responders arrive at the scene as loudspeakers are heard telling people on the naval base to 'shelter in place'
- 10.00am: The Navy reports one confirmed injury
- 10.06am: Roads and intersections closed around the Navy Yard as police cars and SWAT teams flood into the area
- 10.54am: Federal Aviation Agency grounds all flights at National Airport in D.C. due to Navy Yard incident
- 11.13am: First reports say three civilians, one metropolitan police officer and one officer on the naval base were shot
- 11.20am: Police report that a gunman has been shot dead
- 11.50am: Chief Medical Officer at George Washington Hospital confirms that they are treating multiple wounded - the majority of whom are suffering gunshot wounds
- Midday: Washington Metropolitan Police Department Cathy Lanier says that the shooter is believed to be deceased at the scene while there are potentially two other shooters at large - this was later ruled out by the FBI
- 12.20pm: President Obama makes a statement calling those who had been shot at the naval base 'patriots' and expresses his grief at another mass shooting
Investigators earlier were pursuing a possible second gunman but later said there were no suspects beyond Alexis. The incident has raised questions about security at the Washington Navy Yard, about a mile south of the U.S. Capitol and 3 miles from the White House.
Alexis, a contract employee, had legitimate access to the Navy Yard and used a valid pass, the FBI said. Authorities did not address how he could have sneaked weapons onto the base.
Police patrol officers and active shooter teams put an end to the rampage, shooting Alexis dead. Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier said the gun battles produced acts of heroism she could not yet reveal.
'Everybody was panicking and trying to decide which way to get out. A few of us just ran out the side exit,' Patricia Ward, who works at the Navy Yard, told reporters.
Security guards told people to 'run, run, run,' Ward said.
It was the worst attack at a U.S. military installation since U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan opened fire on unarmed soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009, killing 13 people and wounding 31 others.
Hasan, who said he acted in retaliation for U.S. wars in Muslim countries, was convicted and sentenced to death by a military jury in August.
'We are confronting yet another mass shooting, and today it happened at another military installation, in our nation's capital,' said U.S. President Barack Obama, who vowed to enact 'sensible' gun control measures after a gunman shot dead 20 school children and six adults at an elementary school in Connecticut in December.
Alexis carried three weapons: a shotgun, and two handguns that he took from a police officer at the scene, according to two federal law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.
For much of the day, authorities said they were looking for a possible second attacker who may have been disguised in an olive-drab military-style uniform.
Frantic Search: Emergency responders arrive at the scene of a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, where several people were killed and others injured when at least one gunman opened fire at the U.S. Navy Yard
Law enforcement personnel are seen through the gate into the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, on Monday, September. 16, 2013
Escape: Employees at the naval yard run from the building with their hands in the air following the shooting
Terror: People hold their hands to their heads as they are escorted out of the building where a deadly shooting rampage occurred at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington on Monday
A woman is reunite with her husband who was one of hundreds of Navy Yard workers evacuated yesterday
Terror: A family member of a Navy Yard worker who was evacuated during a shooting arrives hoping to find him at a makeshift shelter at the Nationals Park baseball stadium
Tragic shooting: The Medical Examiner wheels a body on a gurney out of the emergency room at George Washington University Hospital shortly after it was announced that the first victim of the shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington had died
The White House- Washington DC. Outside the White House security presence was elevated after the mass shooting today at the Washington Naval Yard
Police who responded to the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard Monday, Sept. 16, 2013, leave the facility
Military personnel watch over the scene of a shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC, USA, 16 September 2013. Twelve people were killed and several wounded in a shooting at the US Navy Yard
But by late Monday night, they said they were convinced the shooting was the work of a lone gunman, and the lockdown around the area was eased.
'We do now feel comfortable that we have the single and sole person responsible for the loss of life inside the base today,' Washington police Chief Cathy Lanier said.
President Barack Obama lamented yet another mass shooting in the U.S. that he said took the lives of American 'patriots.' He promised to make sure 'whoever carried out this cowardly act is held responsible.'
Since he was identified as the shooter, reports have revealed that it was not the first time he was involved in a shooting.
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In 2004, Alexis was arrested in Seattle for shooting the tires of a construction worker's car during what he later called an anger-fueled 'blackout.'
'He said that he didn’t remember pulling the trigger of his firearm until about one hour later,' according to the Seattle police report.
Later he said that he felt the intended victim 'disrespected' him.
The report states that his father said his anger issues stemmed back to his time in New York where he helped the rescue efforts following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The shooter's father told police 'that his son had experienced anger management problems that the family believed associated [sic] with PTSD.'
He was arrested in relation to that incident but never charged, an outcome repeated in Fort Worth, Texas where Alexis was living in 2010.
How the Deadly Attack Unfolded: This graphic provides a timeline and graphic depiction of how Aaron Alexis unleashed his shooting rampage across the Washington Naval Yard on Monday morning
Then, he was arrested for discharging a firearm when his neighbor reported that he fired a shot into her apartment. At the time, Alexis claimed that his hand slipped when he was cleaning his gun while cooking at the same time, and that he accidentally fired the weapon.
Dead: Kenneth Proctor Senior, 46, pictured, was a father-of-two who also lost his life on Monday
New reports also claim that Alexis was arrested for a second time in DeKalb county, Georgia and spent two nights in jail over a disorderly conduct charge but no further details have been released about that incident.
Family members of the Washington shooter are 'distraught' to learn that he carried out the massacre, relatives told MailOnline today.
Alexis, a one-time Texas resident who was known to worship at a Buddhist temple, served in the military and most recently was furthering his education while holding a job in the private sector, his father, Algernon Alexis, told Reuters in a telephone interview.
'This comes as a complete shock,' the elder Alexis said when told his son was the suspected shooter.
Alexis served full time in the U.S. Navy Reserve from May 2007 to January 2011, becoming an aviation electrician, and he received the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, a Navy official told Reuters.
He was recently hired as a civilian information technology contractor to work on the Navy and Marine Corps intranet and was given a security clearance classified as 'secret,' his company's chief executive told Reuters.
A federal law enforcement official said he was living at a Residence Inn in Southwest Washington.
Officers wearing bullet-proof vest and carrying automatic weapons surround the naval base this morning
Armed police prepare to enter the Washington Navy Yard as they respond to a shooting in Washington, Monday, Sept. 16, 2013. At least one gunman opened fire inside a building at the Navy yard
On the move: The naval base descended into chaos this morning after shots were fired around 8.20am
Reunited: Navy Yard workers evacuated after the shooting are reunited with loved ones at a makeshift Red Cross shelter at the Nationals Park baseball stadium near the affected naval installation in Washington, September 16, 2013
Release: Office workers who had been under lock down cross M Street to leave the area around the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC, USA, 16 September 2013
Alexis was arrested on September 4, 2010, in Fort Worth, Texas, on a misdemeanor charge of discharging a firearm but the case was dropped when investigators determined he was cleaning his gun and it accidentally fired, Tarrant County prosecutors said.
He was also arrested in Seattle in 2004 for shooting out a construction worker's car tires in an anger-fueled 'blackout' triggered by perceived 'disrespect,' according to the Seattle Police Department.
In recent years, he developed a love for Thai culture, learning to speak the language and working at the Happy Bowl restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2008, said Tiki Confer, 64, owner of another Thai restaurant nearby. He worshipped at a Buddhist temple, she said.
'He was a very nice boy. When I saw his picture on the news, I was shocked,' Confer said.
Throughout the late 1990s until 2002, he was listed as living in Manhattan and Queens in New York City. He is still registered as a voter in New York City.
The shooting rattled the U.S. capital, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration to briefly suspend departures at Reagan National Airport. The District of Columbia Public Schools put six schools and an administration building on lockdown as a precaution.
Airlift: A police helicopter lifts what appears to be a shooting victim up as it hovers over a rooftop on the Washington Navy Yard campus in Washington, September 16, 2013
Dramatic: A helicopter lifts what appears to be a shooting victim up. The U.S. Navy said several people were injured and there were possible fatalities in the shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington D.C. on Monday
A Park Police helicopter carries a sniper to the roof of a building on the Navy Yard complex where a shooting took place early this morning on September 16
Attack Aftermath: Media and emergency response personnel gather outside the US Navy Yard where at least one unidentified gunman opened fire at the US Navy Yard in Washington on Monday
Snipers take their positions on the roof of a building at the Navy Yard complex where two gunmen have shot at least ten people
District of Columbia Police Chief Cathy Lanier briefs reporters on the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington where at least one gunman opened fire inside a building at the Washington Navy Yard
The Washington Nationals baseball team postponed their game against the Atlanta Braves scheduled for Monday night at nearby Nationals Park.
Washington police chief Cathy Lanier said investigators lifted the "shelter in place" for neighborhoods near the Navy Yard once they had exhausted all leads for a possible second shooter.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus called the Navy Yard shootings "an attack on the Navy family," and said the shooting revealed a potentially serious security breach.
Military personnel are generally banned from carrying weapons on military installations but most people with proper credentials are not routinely checked for firearms.
'It appears that we have at least 13 fatalities … it doesn’t get much more serious than that, obviously,' added Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray during an afternoon press briefing on Monday.
'We have no known motive at this stage. We will continue the investigation to try and figure out what that motive is.'
'We don’t have any reason to suspect terrorism, but certainly it has not been ruled out.’
Solemn: A U.S. Capitol Police officer patrols the steps at the Capitol as the investigation continues at the nearby Washington Navy Yard where at least one gunman opened fire on Monday
Witnesses reported one man described as an African-American male dressed in military fatigues and armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle opening fire upon entering the base at the Naval Sea System Command HQ.
Todd Brundidge, an executive assistant with Navy Sea Systems Command, said he and other co-workers encountered a gunman in a long hallway of their building on the third floor. The gunman was wearing all blue, he said.
'He just turned and started firing,' Brundidge said.
Patricia Ward, who works at the Navy Yard, described how she was in the cafeteria when she heard 'three gunshots, pow-pow-pow, straight in a row.'
'All of the people that were in the cafeteria, we all panicked, and we were trying to decide which way we were going to run out,” she said to NBC News. “I just ran.'
Tim Hogan, a spokesman for Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada, posted photos to his Twitter account of people helping someone who had been hit by gunfire.
Shock: Navy Yard workers evacuated during a shooting arrive at a makeshift shelter at the Nationals Park baseball stadium in DC
Initial reports from the scene were that one of the suspects walked up to the facility, opened fire and then ran inside the building.
'The first call arrived, and ‘within 2 to 3 minutes, MPD officers were on the scene .. within 7 minutes we had active shooter teams … moving inside the building,' said Lanier.
Metro police got into ‘a final gun battle’ that killed the suspect.
‘One of the worst things we’ve seen in Washington, D.C.’
‘There was gunfire still going on’ while officers searched.
‘There’s no question he would have kept shooting’ if officers hadn’t killed him
Civilians inside the military complex described the frantic scenes that greeted them first thing on a Monday morning.
'There was three gunshots straight in a row,' said Patricia Ward, who works at the Navy Yard, describing how she first heard the gunfire while having breakfast at the headquarters building.
Response: Police tactical units leave after responding to a shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC, September 16, 2013
Armed: Police respond to the report of a shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC, September 16, 2013. A gunman shot and wounded at least one person Monday in a headquarters building at the US Navy Yard in Washington
A few seconds later, Ward said she heard four more gunshots. Security guards rushed in and got people out as fast as they could – ''Run, run, run, 'they told people,' Ward told reporters.
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 overhead, schools were on lockdown and airplanes at nearby Reagan National Airport were briefly grounded. Security was beefed up at the Capitol, but officials said there was no known threat there.
About 3,000 people work at the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters, which builds, buys and maintains the Navy's ships and submarines and combat systems.
Todd Brundidge, an executive assistant with Navy Sea Systems Command, said he and other co-workers encountered a gunman in a long hallway of their building on the third floor. The gunman was wearing all blue, he said.
'He just turned and started firing,' Brundidge said.
Terrie Durham, an executive assistant with the same agency, said she also saw the gunman firing toward her and Brundridge.
Mass Emergency Response: A general view shows police and first responder activity on M Street, SE near the Washington Navy Yard on September 16, 2013 in Washington, DC
Heavy Vehicle: Police respond to the report of a shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC as a gunman shot and wounded at least one person Monday in a headquarters building at the US Navy Yard in Washington
Search: Law enforcement officers are deployed on a rooftop as they respond to a shooting on the base at the Navy Yard in Washington, September 16, 2013
Grief: Obama described the victims of the shootings as 'patriots' as he offered support to those affected by the DC naval yard shooting on Monday
Emergency personnel respond to a reported shooting at the Washington Navy Yard where at least ten people have been shot, four killed
Search: A police helicopter flies overhead as police walk on the roof of a building as they respond to a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington September 16, 2013
Two DC Metro Police officers put their gear up as they respond to a reported shooting at an entrance to the Washington Navy Yard September 16, 2013 in Washington, DC
Reaction: Police work the scene on M Street, SE in Washington near the Washington Navy Yard on Monday
'He aimed high and missed,' she said. 'He said nothing. As soon as I realized he was shooting, we just said, "Get out of the building."'
Rick Mason, a program management analyst who is a civilian with the U.S. Navy, said a gunman was shooting from a fourth floor overlook in the hallway outside his office. He said the Alexis was aiming down at people in the building's cafeteria on the first floor. Mason said he could hear the shots but could not see a gunman.
Shortly after the gunfire, Mason said someone on an overhead speaker told workers to seek shelter and later to head for the gates at the complex.
Flights were grounded at Washington Reagan National Airport on Monday during the attacks at the Naval Yard
Vigil: A small group holds a candle light vigil on Freedom Plaza to remember the victims of the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, Monday, September 16, 2013
Navy Yard attack ‘could just as easily have been directed at Congress,’ says FBI insider
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken over the inquiry into what a source in the bureau’s Washington, D.C. Field Office called ‘a horrible – just ridiculous – attack’ that ‘could just as easily have been directed at Congress.’
The civilian employee said the FBI ‘sprung into action immediately. Any time there’s a serious thing like this in the District [of Columbia], we’re going to wind up leading the investigation when the dust settles.’
The source wouldn’t address the identity of the dead suspect, nor comment on progress toward locating two persons of interest presumed to be at large. Neither has been confirmed as a suspect.
‘Everyone in the building who’s at least 35 years old remembers the morning of 9/11, when it was “all hands on deck,” and this feels a little bit like that.’
‘Look – when this started, no one knew whether it was another Newtown or Fort Hood, or maybe another 9/11,’ the source added. ‘All we knew that there were shots fired, and then we knew there was an officer down. By then the WFO [Washington Field Office] was already asking questions and talking to naval security guards – and of course the JTTF was looped in, just in case.’
The JTTF is the Joint Terrorism Task Force, an interagency group present in most American metro areas, designed to help law enforcement agencies collaborate on cases that involve domestic terror attacks.
But Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said during a press briefing at 2:00 p.m. EDT that officials ‘have no known motive at this stage’ for the attack, which involved a shooter entering a Navy Yard building and firing into a cafeteria from a fourth-floor walking overpass.
‘It’s never easy hearing about this kind of a horrible – just ridiculous attack,’ the FBI employee added. ‘And the really scary thing is that if the shooter could get that close to military officers, he could have probably gotten inside other government buildings too.’
‘Not the White House or the Pentagon, but this could just as easily have been directed at Congress, and you would probably have had more casualties. Someone who wants to kill people won’t have any qualms about shooting his way in.’
The civilian employee said the FBI ‘sprung into action immediately. Any time there’s a serious thing like this in the District [of Columbia], we’re going to wind up leading the investigation when the dust settles.’
The source wouldn’t address the identity of the dead suspect, nor comment on progress toward locating two persons of interest presumed to be at large. Neither has been confirmed as a suspect.
‘Everyone in the building who’s at least 35 years old remembers the morning of 9/11, when it was “all hands on deck,” and this feels a little bit like that.’
‘Look – when this started, no one knew whether it was another Newtown or Fort Hood, or maybe another 9/11,’ the source added. ‘All we knew that there were shots fired, and then we knew there was an officer down. By then the WFO [Washington Field Office] was already asking questions and talking to naval security guards – and of course the JTTF was looped in, just in case.’
The JTTF is the Joint Terrorism Task Force, an interagency group present in most American metro areas, designed to help law enforcement agencies collaborate on cases that involve domestic terror attacks.
But Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said during a press briefing at 2:00 p.m. EDT that officials ‘have no known motive at this stage’ for the attack, which involved a shooter entering a Navy Yard building and firing into a cafeteria from a fourth-floor walking overpass.
‘It’s never easy hearing about this kind of a horrible – just ridiculous attack,’ the FBI employee added. ‘And the really scary thing is that if the shooter could get that close to military officers, he could have probably gotten inside other government buildings too.’
‘Not the White House or the Pentagon, but this could just as easily have been directed at Congress, and you would probably have had more casualties. Someone who wants to kill people won’t have any qualms about shooting his way in.’
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Arthur Daniels is a hero! He is the George Foreman of the Washington Navy Yard (Explanation: Like George Foreman, Arthur Daniels have sons, all named Arthur!)
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