The NAS Pensacola shooting that claimed the lives of three U.S. sailors in December was an “act of terrorism,” according to Attorney General William Barr. This announcement coincided with the expulsion of 21 Saudi nationals who were training with the U.S. military.
Barr revealed the gunman, Royal Saudi Air Force 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, was “motivated by jihadist ideology.” The 21 Saudi nationals being expelled also trained at facilities including NAS Pensacola, according to Fox News.
“During the course of the investigation, we learned that the shooter posted a message on September 11, [2019] stating, ‘the countdown has begun,’” Barr stated. “During the Thanksgiving weekend, he then visited the 9/11 Memorial in New York City.” He also posted anti-American, anti-Israeli, and jihadi messages on social media, even hours before the attack.
Alshamrani killed three U.S. sailors and severely wounded eight other Americans in the December 6 attack. The sailors who died were Joshua Kaleb Watson, Mohammed Sameh Haitham, and Cameron Scott Walters.
According to Barr, most of the 21 cadets being expelled had contact with child pornography and social media containing “some jihadi or anti-American content.” However, he clarified, “there was no evidence of any affiliation or involvement with any terrorist activity or group.” The U.S. Attorney’s offices reviewed the cases and determined that federal prosecution was not warranted. Saudi Arabia, however, deemed the material as “conduct unbecoming an officer” and disenrolled the cadets from their U.S. military training.
A law enforcement source told Fox News that “more than a dozen” Saudi nationals in the training program with ties to extremist groups were to be sent home, though they were not linked to the Pensacola shooting.
NAS Pensacola houses the Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity’s International Training Center, established in 1988 to meet the aviation-specific training needs of international officers and enlisted students from allied nations. Cmdr. Bill Gibson stated in 2017 that immersing international students in U.S. Navy training and culture builds partnership capacity.
Alshamrani was shot and killed by a deputy from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI requested Apple’s assistance in accessing data from Alshamrani’s iPhones. While Apple stated they were cooperating and had provided data, Barr claimed Apple had not given any substantive assistance.
Apple previously resisted efforts by government officials to access phone customers’ data, citing a commitment to customer privacy. Apple stated, “We have the greatest respect for law enforcement and have always worked cooperatively to help in their investigations. When the FBI requested information from us relating to this case a month ago we gave them all of the data in our possession and we will continue to support them with the data we have available.”