Pentagon vows additional security measures following Pensacola mass shooting

The Pentagon will take additional “prudent and effective measures” to safeguard its people following Monday’s announcement that a Royal Saudi Air Force officer was in contact with Al Qadea before carrying out a shooting at a naval base in Florida that killed three U.S. personnel.

Mohammad Saeed Alshamrani was going through flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola on Dec. 6, 2019 when he opened fire, killing Ensign Joshua Watson, Airman Mohammed Haitham and Airman Cameron Walters. Wounded in the attack were eight others, Navy officials said.

Mr. Alshamrani was killed by law enforcement during the incident.

“The Department of Defense is incredibly grateful for the diligent work by the FBI team investigating this horrific attack that took the lives of three American patriots,” Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said in a statement.

The Pentagon stopped all international military student training at U.S. bases in the immediate aftermath of the mass shooting. A review of vetting and security procedures was later instituted. Foreign military officers who come to the U.S. to train now have limited access for military installations and restrictions on the possession and use of firearms.

Also, new standards and training on detecting and reporting “insider threats” have now been established.

Defense department officials did not disclose the additional security steps that would be implemented following Monday’s announcement.

The Department of Defense won’t be discontinuing training assignments for international military officers in the U.S., authorities said.

“Security cooperation directly contributes to U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives,” Pentagon officials said. “We will continue to work closely with them to counter the threats of international terrorism and protect our freedom.”