Chattanooga Shooting Leaves Four Marines Dead, Raises Concerns of Potential Terrorist Attack

Strategic Insights -

A gunman opened fire on Thursday at a pair of military facilities in Tennessee, killing four Marines and wounding a police officer and a member of the U.S. military. The shooter, identified as Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez, 24, of Hixson, Tennessee, was killed at the conclusion of the rampage. The attack has raised concerns of a potential terrorist attack, amid warnings from U.S. counterterrorism officials that the Islamic State has called on its followers to mount attacks against U.S. targets, including military installations.

Key Takeaways:

  • Four Marines were killed in the shooting, all of them at the Navy-Marine training site, while a fifth Marine was wounded in the leg.
  • A police officer was shot in the ankle, and a member of the U.S. military was wounded in the attack.
  • The shooter, Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez, 24, of Hixson, Tennessee, was identified by the FBI as the perpetrator of the attack.
  • The shooting began at the recruiting centre on Old Lee Highway, where a shot rang out about 10:30 or 10:45 a.m., followed by more fire.
  • Doors and glass were damaged at the neighbouring Air Force, Navy, and Marine offices, and a local business owner reported hearing a barrage of gunfire for 20 minutes.
  • Bomb squads, SWAT teams, and other local, state, and federal authorities rushed to the scene to respond to the attack.
  • The attack has raised concerns of a potential terrorist attack, amid warnings from U.S. counterterrorism officials that the Islamic State has called on its followers to mount attacks against U.S. targets.

Statistics:

  • 4 Marines were killed in the shooting.
  • 1 police officer was wounded in the ankle.
  • 1 member of the U.S. military was wounded in the attack.
  • 20-50 shots were fired during the attack, according to Sgt. 1st Class Robert Dodge.
  • The shooter was 24 years old, according to FBI officials.
  • The attack occurred on Thursday, with no further information on the exact date.

Sources:

  • The Associated Press, "Four Marines killed in shootings at Tennessee military facilities"
  • Reuters, "US officials: Chattanooga gunman had no known ties to terrorism"
  • FBI, "FBI confirms suspect in Chattanooga shooting"
  • White House officials, "President Obama's remarks on Chattanooga shooting"
  • The Chattanoogan, "4 Marines killed in shooting at Military Recruitment Center"