Chattanooga: Four Marines were killed yesterday in twin shootings at US military centres in the southern state of Tennessee, opening a probe into what officials said was a possible act of “domestic terrorism.”
At least two people were injured in Chattanooga — a police officer and a Marine Corps recruiter. The gunman was shot dead, city Mayor Andy Berke told reporters.
“It is incomprehensible to see what happened and the way that individuals who proudly serve our country were treated,” Berke said, praising the quick response by law enforcement to prevent further loss of life.
Bill Killian, the US federal prosecutor in that part of Tennessee, said the shootings were being investigated as an “act of domestic terrorism,” but officials cautioned that no one should jump to conclusions.
“We are looking at every possible avenue — whether it was terrorism, whether it was domestic, international or whether it was a simple criminal act,” FBI Special Agent Ed Reinhold said.
The Marine Corps confirmed that all four victims were killed at a Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Centre. The second shooting, at the hands of the same man, occurred at a recruitment centre several miles away.
President Barack Obama was briefed on the situation, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said. Several locations in Chattanooga were placed on lockdown, including a local college, area businesses and government offices. AFP
