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September 16, 2013 - The Federal Aviation
Administration suspended departures at Reagan
National Airport (DCA) this morning in order to
allow law enforcement aircraft to respond to a
shooting spree at the Washington Navy Yard in
Washington, D.C.
At least 12 people were killed and several
others were wounded after a gunman dressed in
olive-drab military-style uniform that has been
identified as Aaron Alexis, 34, of Fort Worth,
Texas went on a shooting spree just after 8:00
AM, in the shipyard’s 2.2 million square foot
complex in which 16,000 military and civilian
employees work.
The FAA implemented a ground stop for aircraft
bound for DCA, but accepted arriving aircraft
that was already in the air. Departures resumed
just after 10 AM. The FAA lifted the ground stop
and resumed normal operations.
The FBI has reported Alexis was killed during a
gunfire exchange with the police. Navy Secretary
Ray Mabus said Alexis was a Navy contractor “at
one point” since his discharge from the Navy in
2011.
D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said, “There’s no sign
that today’s shooting has a terrorist
connection. We don’t have any known motive at
this juncture. We have no information that would
suggest that’s the case at this point.”
President Barack Obama called this act by
the gunmen a “cowardly act.” Obama said the
rampage had targeted patriots, military and
civilian alike, “men and women who were going to
work, doing their job, protecting all of us.”
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