Family of Chattanooga Gunman Appologizes

On Monday, yellow police tape still blocked access to it and law enforcement vehicles were parked nearby with lights flashing.

The Department of Homeland Security is closely monitoring the tragic shooting in Chattanooga, and we are supporting the FBI-led investigation.

Another friend said, “He had always talked about it, but I’d say his level of understanding and awareness really rose after he came back”.

“In our culture, if a son or daughter is having those sorts of problems, they keep it a secret because of the shame”, Issa said.

“The person who committed this disgusting crime was not the son we knew and loved”, they added.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Reuters) – Hours before the Tennessee shooting that killed five U.S. servicemen, the suspected gunman texted his close friend a link to an Islamic verse that reads:

“Whosoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine, then I have declared war against him.”

“People with depression do not turn, necessarily, into psychopathic killers – as he did”. It is yet to be determined whether the gunman acted alone, or was inspired or directed.

“Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Randall Smith succumbed to wounds received in the July 16 shooting at the Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) in Chattanooga, Tennessee July 18 at 2:17am”, it said. An officer said Abdulazeez “was unsteady on his feet at times” and that he slurred and mumbled his speech.

Several years ago, relatives tried to have Abdulazeez admitted to an in-patient program for drug and alcohol abuse but a health insurer refused to approve the expense, said the representative. “We have no evidence he was killed by self-inflicted wounds”.

Authorities are trying to figure out why Abdulazeez – an accomplished student, well-liked peer, mixed martial arts fighter and devout Muslim – went on the killing spree.

Sources said there is nothing that conclusively indicates that message was any kind of foreshadowing to the shootings. “Now they are wondering if that is how people still look at them”.

Late Saturday, the family of the 24-year-old Abdulazeez, a Kuwait-born naturalized U.S. citizen, expressed their remorse for his attack. Separately, a friend of his told CNN he also detected some changes since he returned.

It doesn’t appear that the weapons were purchased recently, the law enforcement official said.

But the Federal Bureau of Investigation has stressed it had no indication that the attack was linked to that group. And Abdulazeez was not on any U.S. databases of suspected terrorists. She said she is not dissuaded by what happened.

“He told me that he had never seen it coming and did not see any signs from his son that he would be that way and do something like that, ” Issa said.

Investigators were looking at Abdulazeez’s foreign travel, with a reported trip to Jordan last year of particular interest. She said Abdulazeez was fired when he “did not meet minimum requirements for ongoing employment”. He said his son took pride on taking care of the people under him. Islamic State had threatened to step up violence during Ramadan.

Florida Governor Rick Scott moved his state’s Guard recruiters to armouries. In addition, qualified Guard members will be adequately armed.

“Arming the National Guard at these bases will not only serve as a deterrent to anyone wishing to do harm to our service men and women, but will enable them to protect those living and working on the base”, Abbott said in a statement.

“After the recent shooting in Chattanooga, it has become clear that our military personnel must have the ability to defend themselves against these type of attacks on our own soil”, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin authorized the arming of certain full-time personnel in military installations throughout the state.