D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said he wondered if budget cuts had something to do with a gunman getting onto the Washington Navy Yard on Monday, killing 12 before being killed himself.
“As I look at, for example, sequestration, which is about saving money in the federal government being spent, have we somehow skimped on what would be available for projects like this and then we put people at risk,” Mr. Gray said on CNN’s “New Day” on Tuesday morning.
He called the Navy Yard “one of the most secure facilities in the nation” and wondered how the shooting suspect Aaron Alexis’ past didn’t prevent him from getting access to the base.
“It really is hard to believe that someone with a record as checkered as this man could get credentials to be able to get on the base,” Mr. Gray said.
The Navy Yard in the southeast corner of Washington was an active crime scene for about eight hours yesterday as schools and the Senate were locked down, and authorities continued to search for a possible second and third suspect. While both were cleared of any suspicion, Mr. Gray said on MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown” that “the precautions that were taken were absolutely the right things.”
Mr. Gray said that the city is still working to identify the victims’ families. He also said he plans to personally reach out to each family who lost someone in the shooting.
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“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure these families understand what a sacrifice these people made,” he said.
• Jacqueline Klimas can be reached at jklimas@washingtontimes.com.
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