Americas

Americas

Two killed at US Navy base in Virginia

25 March 2014 18:00 (UTC +04:00)

According to the US Navy officials, a sailor was shot dead by a civilian. The suspected shooter was later shot to death by security forces.

A base spokeswoman, Terri Davis, says the shooting incident happened around 11:20 p.m. on Monday aboard the USS Mahan.

The naval base, which is the world’s largest with about 46,000 military members and 21,000 civilian government employees and contractors, was temporarily put on lockdown as a precaution.

According to US Navy spokeswoman Beth Baker, the civilian did not have authorization to be on the installation.

Civilians must either be escorted or have a permit to be able to get on the base and each base entrance is guarded, with all piers having additional security forces.

The shooting comes months after a gunman opened fire and killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard, which is some 200 miles north of Norfolk. The Washington Navy Yard shooter, Aaron Alexis, was then killed by police.