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Pensacola Shooting Live Updates: Gunman Kills 2 at Naval Air Station 3 Killed in Shooting at Pensacola Naval Air Station: Live Updates
(about 1 hour later)
Two people were shot dead by a gunman who opened fire early on Friday at Naval Air Station Pensacola, the authorities said. The gunman was later confirmed dead, Jason Bortz, a spokesman for the base, said. Three people were shot dead by a gunman who opened fire early on Friday at Naval Air Station Pensacola, the authorities said.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said in a brief statement on Facebook that “there is no longer an active shooter” at the base, which employs more than 16,000 military personnel and 7,400 civilians. The sheriff’s office did not say how the gunman had died. Sheriff David Morgan of Escambia County said one of his deputies killed the gunman at the base, which employs more than 16,000 military personnel and 7,400 civilians. Two deputies were shot, in the arm and the knee, but are expected to recover, the sheriff said.
Mr. Bortz did not have identities of the gunman, or the people who were killed in the shooting, which he said took place at a training area on the base. Capt. Timothy F. Kinsella Jr., the base’s commanding officer, declined to identify the gunman or say whether he was a serviceman. The shooting took place in a classroom building on the base, where training is routinely conducted, he said. Captain Kinsella declined to “speculate” on whether the shooting was being investigated as an act of terrorism.
Candy McGuyre, a spokeswoman for Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, said that the hospital had received five patients so far but that she did not have their conditions. “They are going through triage,” she said. Kathy Bowers, a spokeswoman for Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, said that the hospital had received eight patients. One of the victims transported to Baptist later died, according to Chief Deputy Chip Simmons of Escambia County. Two other victims died on the base, he said.
Another nearby hospital, Ascension Sacred Heart, earlier said it had been told to expect several patients but had received none. The identities of the victims have not been released.
The Pensacola Police Department and base security officials began receiving calls about the shooting around 6:30 a.m., said Mr. Bortz, the spokesman for the base. The base was put on lockdown. “They’re part of the Navy family,” Captain Kinsella said. “They’re part of us, and our heart goes out to those of you who may be affected by this tragedy.”
He said that he believed there was only one gunman involved but that there would be an investigation. Officials began receiving calls about the shooting about 6:50 a.m., and the base was put on lockdown.
President Trump has been briefed about the shooting and was monitoring the situation, the White House said. “Walking through the crime scene was like being on the set of a movie,” Sheriff Morgan said.
He added that the authorities were not looking for any additional gunmen.
President Trump has been briefed about the shooting and was monitoring the situation, the White House said. Vice President Mike Pence said in a message on Twitter that he was “saddened” to hear about the “horrible” shooting.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida said Friday morning that he was receiving updates about the shooting at the base and was offering full support to law enforcement.Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida said Friday morning that he was receiving updates about the shooting at the base and was offering full support to law enforcement.
The base at Pensacola, on Florida’s Panhandle, dates to the 1820s and is considered by the service to be the home of naval aviation. Since World War I, most Navy and Marine Corps aviators and flight officers have begun their flight training there, and it is where the Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team is based as well. The base “is a huge source of pride for all of Northwest Florida,” said Representative Matt Gaetz, whose congressional district includes Pensacola.
The first, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Oahu on Wednesday, came as that installation was preparing for the 78th anniversary of the Japanese attack that marked the United States’ entry into World War II on Dec. 7. A sailor shot two workers and injured another before killing himself, according to the authorities, who have not outlined any possible motive for the attack. “I know there are places all over the country where, at times, there is tension between a military mission and a community, but in our home, this is who we are,” he said. “This is what we love, and it’s why our hearts break today.”
The base at Pensacola, on Florida’s Panhandle, dates to the 1820s and is considered by the service to be the home of naval aviation. Since World War I, most Navy and Marine Corps aviators and flight officers have begun their flight training there, and it is where the Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team is based.
Doug Underhill, a county commissioner for the district where the base is, said grief counselors would be arriving for those who need their services.
The first, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Oahu on Wednesday, came as that installation was preparing for the 78th anniversary on Dec. 7 of the Japanese attack that marked the United States’ entry into World War II.
A United States sailor opened fire at a dry dock at the base, the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, fatally shooting two shipyard workers and injuring another before killing himself, the authorities said.
The motive for the shooting is not yet known. It was also not clear whether the active-duty sailor targeted the three shipyard workers — Department of Defense civilians — or fired indiscriminately.
The sailor was assigned to the U.S.S. Columbia, a submarine docked at the shipyard for maintenance, Rear Adm. Robert B. Chadwick II, commander for the Navy in Hawaii, said.
Derrick Bryson Taylor, Kalyn Wolfe, John Ismay and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs contributed reporting.