Rep. Matt Gaetz said the shooting in Pensacola, Florida, that left three people dead was a terrorist act being investigated by the FBI.
“This was not a murder. This was an act of terrorism,” the Florida Republican said Friday to WEAR-TV. “And as we speak, the investigation is being handed over from the NCIS to the FBI. That is the signal that this will now be treated by our government as an act of terrorism, not a murder.”
This was not a murder. This was an act of terrorism. pic.twitter.com/AJfTQOOE68
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) December 6, 2019
A Saudi national shot and killed three people and injured several others at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola early Friday morning before being killed himself.
Six Saudi nationals have been detained in connection with the shooting. Officials are still looking into whether it should be classified as an act of terror.
Gaetz called for “extreme vetting” in the aftermath of the shooting for those who come and train on U.S. military bases. The language echoes President Trump’s demands regarding the “extreme vetting” of immigrants from certain Middle Eastern countries.
We’re learning a Saudi Arabian military member in Pensacola committed these murders.
I’m working with the @DeptofDefense, @StateDept, and @DHSgov to ensure there’s extreme vetting for people who come to our country and train on our bases. pic.twitter.com/LUhSE6UAHO
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) December 6, 2019
