US Navy Yard Gunman Was Treated for Mental Illness
September 18, 2013
by VOA News
More details have emerged about the private contractor who fatally shot 12 people Monday at the Washington Navy Yard.
Authorities say Aaron Alexis had been seeking mental health treatment at veteran's hospitals in Washington.
During a visit to the resort town of Newport, Rhode Island in August, just weeks before the rampage, Alexis complained to police that people were talking to him through the walls and ceiling of his hotel room and sending vibrations through his body to keep him from sleeping.
The 34-year old former Navy reserve sailor was shot and killed during a gun battle with police 30 minutes after he opened fire on employees of the Naval Sea Systems Command.
The FBI says he acted alone and got into the Navy Yard with valid identification. His motive is still unknown.
Alexis had been previously arrested in two separate shooting incidents in 2004 and 2010, and was cited several times for misconduct during his time in the Navy.
Despite those past incidents and his recent history of mental illness, he still maintained the low-level security clearance he received during his four-year naval service, which ended in 2011.
His security clearance led to his hiring as an information technology specialist by a private defense contractor. The contractor said Alexis worked on at least six military installations in July and August without incident.
Monday's incident is the latest in a rash of deadly mass shootings in the United States. During an interview on the Spanish-speaking television network Telemundo, President Barack Obama called for Congress to approve new gun control measures to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill.
Obama has ordered a review of security standards for government contractors and employees across federal agencies, and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered a security review of all U.S. military facilities around the world.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
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