Four confirmed dead at NAS Pensacola, including shooter identified as Saudi national

Annie Blanks | Pensacola News Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Pensacola NAS Shooting: What we know now Reports of an active shooter on the base came in Friday morning.

UPDATE 1:05 p.m. The suspect who opened fire at NAS Pensacola on Friday morning used a handgun, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said during an afternoon press conference.

The sheriff said that four people are confirmed dead, including the shooter, and eight more are injured.

UPDATE 12:50 a.m. The shooting suspect at NAS Pensacola was an aviation student from Saudi Arabia, Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed.

UPDATE 11:10 a.m. A spokesman for NAS Pensacola confirmed that the base is still on lockdown and said the number of injured is expected to rise as the day goes on.

Four people, including the shooter, are still confirmed deceased.

UPDATE 10:45 a.m.: Corry Station, a naval training installation a few miles northwest of NAS Pensacola, has been placed on lockdown as a precaution. Personnel are sheltering in place until the lockdown is lifted.

Corry Station is open for regular traffic.

Watch: Governor DeSantis arrives in Pensacola following NAS Pensacola shooting Governor Ron DeSantis arrives in Pensacola following a shooting that happened at NAS Pensacola on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019.

UPDATE 9:45 a.m.: Sheriff David Morgan has confirmed that four people are dead following a shooting at NAS Pensacola Friday morning, including the shooter.

Total injured, including deceased, are 11, according to Morgan. Seven patients are currently being treated at Baptist Hospital.

Two ECSO deputies are among those injured and are hospitalized. One was shot in the arm and one was shot in the knee. The deputy who was shot in the knee is undergoing surgery.

The shooting happened in a classroom building, with the first report coming to ECSO at 6:51 a.m.

A spokesman for NAS Pensacola confirmed the shooting took place in Building 633, which is the Aviation Pre-Indoctrination Building.

UPDATE 9:40 a.m. Sacred Heart Hospital says they have not received any patients from this morning's active shooter situation and don't anticipate receiving any today.

Baptist Hospital has received eight patients from this morning's shooting. The Navy hospital on base also confirms they have received patients but could not confirm a number.

If you believe you may have a family member at Baptist Hospital, officials are asking you call Baptist at 850-434-4011.

UPDATE 9:25 a.m.: While NAS Pensacola spokesmen have confirmed six injured or dead, Navy Hospital officials report additional patients were transported to their hospital. Their extent of their injuries is unknown.

Baptist Hospital also released a statement confirming they have received have eight patients. Staff are working with Navy personnel to communicate with family members.

UPDATE 9:07 a.m.: Maj. Andrew Hobbs with the Escambia County Sheriff's Office said two deputies were shot while confronting the active shooter suspect on Friday morning.

The deputies were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

Additional ECSO deputies engaged the active shooter and shot and killed him, according to Chief Deputy Chip Simmons

NAS Pensacola shooting: Local authorities hold press conference Active shooter at NAS Pensacola confirmed dead; 11 patients transported to area hospitals.

UPDATE 9 a.m.: Sailors on base reported that the shooting happened inside building 633, which is the Aviation Pre-Indoctrination Building.

The stretch of Navy Boulevard leading to the main gate entrance of NAS Pensacola remained closed around 8:30 a.m. Friday.

ECSO deputies stood in the middle of Navy Boulevard and Gulf Beach Highway, diverting traffic on Gulf Beach Highway but not allowing cars to pass on Navy Boulevard. The parking lot of a CVS pharmacy at the northwest corner of the intersection was filled with cars driven by military members or NAS Pensacola office staff workers who were unable to get to work.

Jennifer Nicholls, a fifth-grade teacher at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, was parked in a minivan with five children in its backseats. She, her three children and two carpoolers watched as streams of emergency vehicles roared past them down Navy Boulevard.

“We’ve been waiting here since about 7:20 a.m.,” she said. “The school is one of the last things on the road before you get to the base. We saw the road blocked, and a friend called me and asked if I had heard about what happened on base. I pulled in here. I thought it would be a safe place.”

UPDATE 8:35 a.m. Six total victims have been confirmed following an active shooter incident at Naval Air Station Pensacola on Friday morning.

Two victims, as well as the shooter, have been confirmed dead. Two additional victims have suffered critical injuries. An additional victim has suffered non-critical injuries.

The Navy base will be closed all day Friday.

UPDATE 8:30 a.m. Sacred Heart Hospital says they're expecting three patients, not six, related to the active shooter at NAS Pensacola.

The three patients have not yet arrived at the hospital.

UPDATE 8:20 a.m. Two victims are confirmed dead, in addition to the shooter, after a shooting was reported about 6:30 a.m. Friday.

There are three additional injuries, according to Jason Bortz, spokesman for NAS Pensacola.

UPDATE 8:10 a.m. Reports say the shooting took place near Radford Road on base.

UPDATE 8:07 a.m. Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh, who works at the NAS Pensacola as a civilian contractor, said he was in line to go through the gate when it was shut down.

“There's probably been 100 or so various law enforcement vehicles zooming down the wrong side on Navy Boulevard,” Bergosh said. “There's been ambulances, fire trucks. It's my understanding there's multiple causalities. I haven't heard of any fatalities yet.”

He received a call from his coworkers who reported being on lockdown inside the base. He said he is stuck in traffic gridlock outside the base.

UPDATE 8:03 a.m. Sacred Heart Hospital has confirmed they're expecting six patients from the active shooter situation on NAS Pensacola. Not all of the patients have arrived yet.

Baptist Hospital has received five patients so far.

St. John's Catholic School, located outside the front of the base, has been closed due to the lockdown.

UPDATE 7:50 a.m. The active shooter at NAS Pensacola has been confirmed dead.

ECSO spokeswoman Amber Southard confirmed the shooter was dead just before 8 a.m. Friday.

Baptist Hospital spokeswoman Kathy Bowers confirmed the hospital has accepted five patients related to the active shooting.

UPDATE 7:30 a.m. A spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff's Office confirmed that authorities are working to "take down" an active shooter on base at NAS Pensacola.

Amber Southard, spokeswoman for the ECSO, said little information is available at the moment, but shots have been fired on base and a heavy law enforcement presence is there to eliminate the threat.

Scanner traffic for Escambia County Fire and Rescue indicated 10 patients are being transported to local hospitals.

Three medical helicopters are in route and several military ambulances have also been seen in the area.

ORIGINAL STORY: An active shooter has been reported at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Jason Bortz, spokesman for NAS Pensacola, confirmed to the News Journal that an active shooter was reported sometime around 7 a.m. Friday. Both gates are closed and the base is on lockdown.

Navy officials and law enforcement are currently investigating the report and are asking members of the public to stay away from base.

We will update this story with more information as it becomes available.

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Annie Blanks can be reached at ablanks@pnj.com or 850-435-8632.