US Navy Sailor shoots dead two civilian workers at Pearl Harbor military base before turning the gun on himself – sending the home of the Pacific Fleet into lockdown
December 5, 2019 in News by RBN Staff
Source: Daily Mail
- The shooter has been identified as a U.S. Sailor, the military said Wednesday
- They did not release a motive or any identifying information about the sailor
- One eyewitness described seeing three people shot and a gunman ‘in uniform’
- Emergency crews raced to the scene at around 2.30pm local time on Wednesday
- A third victim is at a hospital and the base has reopened following the lockdown
A US Navy sailor shot and killed two civilian Department of Defense employees at the Pearl Harbor shipyard in Hawaii before taking his own life on Wednesday afternoon.
The employees, both men, were taken to hospital in severe condition Wednesday afternoon before being pronounced dead. A third victim, a 36-year-old man, remains under guard in hospital in stable condition.
The military said the sailor was from the USS Columbia, a submarine that was in the dock for maintenance, but did not release their identity or discuss a possible motive.
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam was placed on lockdown after the shooting at Drydock 2 around 2.30pm local time.
It comes just days before thousands were scheduled to gather at the military base to mark the 78th anniversary of the Japanese bombing that launched the US into the Second World War.
Rear Admiral Robert Chadwick, the commander of Navy Region Hawaii, said the service would evaluate whether security would need to be upgraded ahead of the annual ceremony. About a dozen survivors of the 1941 bombing were expected to attend, along with dignitaries and service members.
Scroll down for video
An unidentified male is taken away on a stretcher outside the main gate at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
Security forces attend to the man following a shooting which killed two civilians before the gunman killed himself
Security stand outside the main gate at Joint Base Pearl Harbor. A U.S. sailor shot three civilian Department of Defense employees at the Pearl Harbor shipyard Wednesday before taking his own life, the military said
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, one of the Navy’s major installations, said the shooting began around 2:30 p.m. at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. The military didn’t release a motive or any identifying information about the sailor who opened fire or the victims
‘We have no indication yet whether they were targeted or if it was a random shooting,’ Chadwick said adding that he didn’t know what type of weapon the shooter used.
He said people aren’t authorized to bring their personal weapons on base.
‘Obviously, our thoughts are with the families of the victims and everyone involved. I can say that we are mobilizing support services for naval shipyard personnel as well as everyone else who may be affected by this tragic event,’ Chadwick said.
The base tweeted to confirm ‘the shooting incident has been secured’, adding: ‘The shooter has been identified as a U.S. Sailor.’
One eyewitness told Hawaii News Now: ‘I was at my desk when I heard loud pops, which I recognized as gunshots.
‘I looked out of the window and I saw three people on the ground. The shooter, who I assume was a sailor because he was in uniform, shot himself.’
Emergency crews raced to the scene following reports of gunfire.
Text messages are said to have been sent those in the area alerting them of the danger.
Footage showed law enforcement and first responders at the scene.
The military has revealed the sailor was part of the crew of the USS Columbia, a submarine in the port for maintenance (file image), but did not reveal their identity
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam had earlier tweeted: ‘JBPHH security forces have responded to a reported shooting at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.
‘The incident occurred at approximately 2.30pm. Due to the ongoing security incident, access/gates to #JBPHH are closed. We will update when we have further information.’
They later added: ‘Gates and base access are now open. Standby for further information regarding the active shooter incident.’
Hawaii Gov. David Ige said the White House has offered assistance from federal agencies and that the state is also ready to help if needed. A White House spokesman said President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting.
‘I join in solidarity with the people of Hawaii as we express our heartbreak over this tragedy and concern for those affected by the shooting,’ Ige said in a statement.
The incident is said to have taken place at Drydock 2 at around 2:30 p.m., local time
The shipyard repairs, maintains and modernizes the ships and submarines of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which is headquartered at Pearl Harbor. The base is the home port for 10 destroyers and 15 submarines
Two hospitals said they were each treating a victim but didn’t have details on their conditions. The base has reopened following a lockdown (stock image of the base is pictured)
‘This is going to be fully investigated, and we’ll be looking at every aspect, including lessons learned and (the potential for) additional security.’
Mayor Kirk Caldwell added: ‘We share in the sorrow of today’s tragic shooting at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and are thankful for the actions of our federal and state partners, as well as the city’s first responders who rushed to the scene, which includes personnel from HPD, HFD, and emergency services.’
The shipyard repairs, maintains and modernizes the ships and submarines of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which is headquartered at Pearl Harbor. The base is the home port for 10 destroyers and 15 submarines. It also hosts Air Force units.
Mass shootings and gun violence are rare in Hawaii. In 1999, a Xerox service technician fatally shot seven coworkers. In 2006, a man fatally shot his taxi driver and a couple taking photos of the city lights from a lookout point in the hills above Honolulu.
Hawaii had the lowest gun death rate among the states in 2017, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The islands have strict firearms laws, including a ban on assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines.
The shipyard is across the harbor from the wreckage of USS Arizona, which sank in the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack. It’s also across from the visitors center, which will host Saturday’s ceremony. More than 2,300 Americans were killed in the bombing.
The shipyard has played a key role in naval history, most notably during World War II. Shipyard workers were given just days to repair the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier severely damaged during the Battle of the Coral Seat in 1942, because the Navy needed to quickly send the ship to Midway to meet Japanese forces there.
Some 1,400 shipyard workers labored around the clock for almost 72 hours to patch the carrier together.
The planes the Yorktown delivered to Midway sank one of the four aircraft carriers Japan sent to the battle and helped destroy two others.
The Battle of Midway turned the tide of the war in the United States’ favor.