Donald Trump maintains a diplomatic tone with Saudi Arabia despite one of their nationals shooting dead three US servicemen in a 'terror' attack the morning after a disturbing 'mass shootings party'
- The president said King Salman was 'greatly angered by the barbaric actions' of Mohammed Alshamrani after he opened fire at Pensacola naval base on Friday
- Trump also spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman on Sunday
- The two vowed to work together on the investigation into the attack in Florida
- The night before he opened fire Alshamrani is said to have hosted a dinner party where he and three others watched videos of mass shootings
- Investigators are facing mounting pressure to discover his motives in the attack
Donald Trump has maintained a diplomatic tone with Saudi Arabia, despite one of their nationals shooting dead three US servicemen in a suspected terror attack.
The president has said King Salman was 'greatly angered by the barbaric actions' of Mohammed Alshamrani after the 21-year-old opened fire at the Pensacola naval base last Friday.
Following the assault Trump said: 'The King said that the Saudi people are greatly angered by the barbaric actions of the shooter, and that this person in no way, shape or form represents the feelings of the Saudi people, who love the American people so much.'
He added: 'The King will be involved in taking care of families and loved ones. He feels very strongly I think they're going to help out the families very greatly.'
Trump also spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Sunday and the two vowed to work together on the investigation into the attack.
White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement: 'The Crown Prince reiterated Saudi Arabia´s commitment to working with the United States to prevent a horrific attack like the Pensacola shooting from ever happening again.'
The night before he opened fire Alshamrani is said to have hosted a dinner party where he and three others watched videos of mass shootings, a U.S. official said.
Donald Trump, pictured, has maintained a diplomatic tone with Saudi Arabia, despite one of their nationals shooting dead three US servicemen in a suspected terror attack
Saudi Royal Air Force Second Lt. Mohammed Alshamrani, pictured, killed three and wounded eight others at Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, on Friday
The president has said King Salman, left, was 'greatly angered by the barbaric actions' Mohammed Alshamrani. Trump also spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, right, Sunday and the pair vowed to work together on the investigation of the attack
An official who spoke Saturday said one of the three students who attended the dinner party hosted by the attacker then recorded video outside the classroom building while the shooting was taking place. Two other Saudi students watched from a car, the official said.
Trump thanked 'the Crown Prince for Saudi Arabia's assistance with the investigation and continued partnership,' Deere added in a statement released Sunday night.
Saudi Arabia's state news agency on Sunday also said the crown prince had called Trump to express his condolences and support for the families of the victims of the shooting and assure the president that Saudi authorities would offer their absolute cooperation with U.S. investigators.
The FBI has said U.S. investigators believe Saudi Air Force Second Lieutenant Alshamrani acted alone when he attacked a U.S. Navy base in Pensacola, Florida on Friday, before he was fatally shot by a deputy sheriff.
But investigators are facing mounting pressure to discover his motives in the attack.
It emerged as:
- A cyber attack crippled the city of Pensacola over the weekend and officials do 'not yet don't know' if two incidents are 'connected or not'
- Key part of the investigation into the shooting now turns to Texas, ABC reports
- FBI confirmed Sunday Alshamrani had legally purchased the Glock 9mm pistol
- Authorities also believe he authored a series of social media posts in which he talked about U.S. support for Israel and scolded Americans for being anti-Muslim
- His fellow Saudi students are speaking directly with American investigators
- Colleagues say he appeared more religious after a trip home in February
- And it emerged the gunman had visited New York just two days before shooting
On Monday the mayor of Pensacola revealed the city had been hit by cyber attack just hours after the shooting.
Mayor Grover Robinson admitted Monday that officials do 'not yet don't know' if two incidents are 'connected or not'. The issue is thought to be ongoing.
'We have discussed and we have talked with the FBI. It's my understanding (the city) sent stuff to them, and we're continuing to work. Our computer people worked through the weekend to see what was happening', Robinson added.
Alshamrani had apparently gone on Twitter shortly before the shooting to blast U.S. support of Israel and accuse America of being anti-Muslim, a U.S. official said Sunday. The FBI confirmed it is operating on the assumption the attack was an act of terrorism.
'We are, as we do in most active-shooter investigations, work with the presumption that this was an act of terrorism,' said Rachel J. Rojas, the special agent in charge of the FBI's office in Jacksonville.
In a statement, the FBI confirmed Sunday that it had obtained base surveillance videos as well as cellphone footage taken by a bystander outside the building, and had also interviewed that person.
Rojas would not directly answer when asked whether other students knew about the attack beforehand or whether there was anything 'nefarious' about the making of the video. She said that a lot of information needs to be confirmed by investigators and that she did not want to contribute to 'misinformation' circulating about the case.
Rojas said federal authorities are focused on questioning the gunman's friends, classmates and other associates. 'Our main goal is to confirm if he acted alone or was he part of a larger network,' she said.
Authorities believe the gunman made social media posts criticizing the U.S. under a user handle similar to his name, but federal law enforcement officials are investigating whether he authored the words or just posted them, said the official.
Also, investigators believe the gunman visited New York City, including Rockefeller Center, days before the shooting and are working to determine the purpose of the trip, the official said.
All foreign students at the Pensacola base have been accounted for, no arrests have been made, and the community is under no immediate threat, Rojas said at a news conference.
A Saudi commanding officer has ordered all students from the country to remain at one location at the base, authorities said.
'There are a number of Saudi students who are close to the shooter and continue to cooperate in this investigation,' Rojas said. 'The Saudi government has pledged to fully cooperate with our investigation.'
Family members and others identified the three dead as Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters, 21, of Richmond Hill, Georgia (left); Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham, 19, of St. Petersburg, Florida (center); and Joshua Kaleb Watson, a 23-year-old graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (right)=
Members of the Air Force Old Guard Carry team carry the transfer case of Seaman Apprentice Cameron S. Walters at Dover Air Force Base on Sunday
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the investigation was proceeding under 'the presumption that this was an act of terrorism'and he called for better vetting of foreigners allowed into the U.S. for training on American bases.
Speaking at a news conference Sunday afternoon, DeSantis also said the gunman had a social media trail and a 'deep-seated hatred of the United States.'
He said he thought such an attack could have been prevented with better vetting.
Trump ally, Rep Matt Gaetz, said: 'Of course, what happened is Pensacola has to inform on our ongoing relationship with Saudi Arabia.
'That is the message I directly delivered to the Saudi Ambassador when she called to offer her condolences.'
Alshamrani used a Glock 9 mm weapon that had been purchased legally in Florida, Rojas said. DeSantis questioned whether foreigners should continue to be allowed under federal law to buy guns in the U.S. and called it a 'federal loophole.'
Republican DeSantis said he supports that the Second Amendment but that it 'does not apply to Saudi Arabians.'
Family members and others identified the three dead as Joshua Kaleb Watson, a 23-year-old graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy; Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham, 19, of St. Petersburg, Florida, who joined the Navy after graduating from high school last year; and Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters, 21, of Richmond Hill, Georgia.
Saudi Arabia's government so far has not commented on a possible motive for the shooting, nor offered any information about the promised investigation.
Meanwhile, the daily Saudi newspaper Okaz published an interview with Othman Alshamrani, a man it described as an extended family member of the shooting suspect from his hometown in the kingdom's Asir province.
'This individual act does not represent us, nor his family nor his tribe,' the relative said, adding that the slain man was from a family with members who have well served their nation in military posts.
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