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| Navy yard shooting: White House orders review of security procedures | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The US government ordered a clutch of security reviews on Tuesday as investigators attempted to find out why a troubled former reservist walked on to the oldest military installation in the United States with at least one weapon, opened fire and killed 12 people before he was shot dead. | The US government ordered a clutch of security reviews on Tuesday as investigators attempted to find out why a troubled former reservist walked on to the oldest military installation in the United States with at least one weapon, opened fire and killed 12 people before he was shot dead. |
| A senior Pentagon official said the defense secretary, Chuck Hagel, intended to order a review of physical security and access at all military installations across the world. Military leaders were being consulted over the parameters of the review, which should be formally announced tomorrow, the official said. | |
| The White House separately announced a review of security procedures for private contractors after it was revealed that Aaron Alexis obtained clearance to work on the base despite having been arrested twice in the past for gun-related offences. | |
| Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, said it would be conducted by the Office of Management and Budget and examine "standards for contractors and employees across federal agencies". | |
| A third inquiry was announced by the navy secretary, Ray Mabus, who ordered a two-stage review of security at navy and marine corps installations. | |
| The FBI revealed on that Alexis was armed with just a shot gun on Monday morning when, acting alone, he entered the military compound using a valid security pass and began firing at other civilian contractors. | |
| The head of the FBI's field office in Washington, Valerie Parlave, dismissed reports Alexis used an AR-15 semi automatic rifle – the weapon used in other recent mass shootings in the US. | |
| Instead she said Alexi only the shotgun, purchased in nearby Virginia, when he entered building 197. "We also believe Mr Alexis may have gained access to a handgun once inside the facility and after he began shooting," she said. | |
| The FBI is still seeking to determine his motive and Parlave would not comment on reports that the gunman was receiving treatment for mental disorders. | |
| "We continue to look into Mr Alexis's past, including his medical and criminal histories," she said | |
| Police named the the 12 victims of the attack on Tuesday. All were civilian employees aged between 46 and 73. It was unclear whether Alexis, 34, had deliberately avoided shooting military personnel. | Police named the the 12 victims of the attack on Tuesday. All were civilian employees aged between 46 and 73. It was unclear whether Alexis, 34, had deliberately avoided shooting military personnel. |
| Washington's Metropolitan police department said Alexis was believed to have shot other employees at the compound from the lobby of building 197 to the third and fourth floors. He had several firefights with police before being shot dead by armed officers. | Washington's Metropolitan police department said Alexis was believed to have shot other employees at the compound from the lobby of building 197 to the third and fourth floors. He had several firefights with police before being shot dead by armed officers. |
| Police chief Cathy Lanier said the succession of firefights lasted between 30 minutes and an hour before he was killed. | |
| Hagel, joined other military officials to lay a wreath at the navy memorial in Washington to honour those killed. The wreath was placed next to the statue of the Lone Sailor, to represent "all people who have ever served, are serving now, or are yet to serve in the United States navy". | |
| There was still no clear motive for the killing spree, although a picture was emerging of a disturbed individual prone to sometimes angry outbursts, who may have been undergoing treatment for mental illness. | There was still no clear motive for the killing spree, although a picture was emerging of a disturbed individual prone to sometimes angry outbursts, who may have been undergoing treatment for mental illness. |
| Although he was never convicted of a crime, Alexis had a number of encounters with police, two of which involved firearms, and had a history of disorderly conduct before he was granted an honourable discharge from the navy two years ago. | Although he was never convicted of a crime, Alexis had a number of encounters with police, two of which involved firearms, and had a history of disorderly conduct before he was granted an honourable discharge from the navy two years ago. |
| Police in Seattle said Alexis had been arrested in 2004 after shooting out the tyres of a car belonging to a worker on a construction site near his home. Alexis was said to have acted in an "anger-fuelled blackout", furious about where the car was parked. | Police in Seattle said Alexis had been arrested in 2004 after shooting out the tyres of a car belonging to a worker on a construction site near his home. Alexis was said to have acted in an "anger-fuelled blackout", furious about where the car was parked. |
| Authorities in Fort Worth, Texas, said Alexis was arrested in 2010 when he was a navy reservist there, after an upstairs neighbour complained he had shot through the ceiling of her home. The police report said Alexis had complained about noise. He was not charged after police accepted his explanation that he had discharged the gun by accident. | Authorities in Fort Worth, Texas, said Alexis was arrested in 2010 when he was a navy reservist there, after an upstairs neighbour complained he had shot through the ceiling of her home. The police report said Alexis had complained about noise. He was not charged after police accepted his explanation that he had discharged the gun by accident. |
| The Associated Press reported that the Department of Veterans' Affairs had been involved in treating Alexis for a number of mental health issues since August. The police and the FBI, which is leading the investigation, declined to confirm or deny the report. | |
| However, a number of friends and associates of Alexis suggested he had shown unusual behaviour. Gene Denby, a reporter at National Public Radio and a friend of Alexis's sister, recalled him apparently behaving strangely "six or seven" years ago. | However, a number of friends and associates of Alexis suggested he had shown unusual behaviour. Gene Denby, a reporter at National Public Radio and a friend of Alexis's sister, recalled him apparently behaving strangely "six or seven" years ago. |
| Denby said that Alexis called his sister, incoherent, claiming "people were out to get him". Denby said: "She was unnerved, clearly unsettled by it." | Denby said that Alexis called his sister, incoherent, claiming "people were out to get him". Denby said: "She was unnerved, clearly unsettled by it." |
| There were growing questions over whether he should have been granted a security clearance. Alexis had worked for almost a year as an IT contractor for The Experts, a technology firm sub-contracted to work for the US navy on behalf of Hewlett-Packard. | There were growing questions over whether he should have been granted a security clearance. Alexis had worked for almost a year as an IT contractor for The Experts, a technology firm sub-contracted to work for the US navy on behalf of Hewlett-Packard. |
| Thomas Hoshko, the chief executive of The Experts, which is headquartered in Florida and has a base in Alexandria, Virginia, said Alexis worked on a contract in Japan from September 2012 to January 2013. | Thomas Hoshko, the chief executive of The Experts, which is headquartered in Florida and has a base in Alexandria, Virginia, said Alexis worked on a contract in Japan from September 2012 to January 2013. |
| More recently, the US military granted him a "secret" clearance – providing him with a pass known as a common access card – and worked at six or more US military installations in July and August. "We had just recently re-hired him. Another background investigation was re-run and cleared through the defense security service in July 2013," he said. | More recently, the US military granted him a "secret" clearance – providing him with a pass known as a common access card – and worked at six or more US military installations in July and August. "We had just recently re-hired him. Another background investigation was re-run and cleared through the defense security service in July 2013," he said. |
| The work in Washington, focusing on the navy and marine corps intranet, had only just begun. The FBI said Alexis had been staying in hotels in the Washington DC area since August 25, and checked into the Residence Inn hotel, near the facility in southwest Washington, on September 7. | |
| On Tuesday, police were searching his room at the hotel, and appealing for any information that might provide insight into why Alexis opened fire on his co-workers. | On Tuesday, police were searching his room at the hotel, and appealing for any information that might provide insight into why Alexis opened fire on his co-workers. |
| It remained unclear whether the shootings would reignite the stalled debate in Congress over gun control. Calls for action came from an unexpected quarter, when the most senior clinician at a hospital that treated victims of the shootings broke away from giving updates about their medical conditions to make a powerful plea for Americans to eradicate the "evil in our society" that keeps her hospital so busy with shooting injuries. | It remained unclear whether the shootings would reignite the stalled debate in Congress over gun control. Calls for action came from an unexpected quarter, when the most senior clinician at a hospital that treated victims of the shootings broke away from giving updates about their medical conditions to make a powerful plea for Americans to eradicate the "evil in our society" that keeps her hospital so busy with shooting injuries. |
| "I would like you to put my trauma center out of business," Janis Orlowski, the chief medical officer at Washington hospital center, told reporters in the aftermath of the killing. "I would like to not be an expert on gunshots. Let's get rid of this. This is not America." | "I would like you to put my trauma center out of business," Janis Orlowski, the chief medical officer at Washington hospital center, told reporters in the aftermath of the killing. "I would like to not be an expert on gunshots. Let's get rid of this. This is not America." |
| In follow-up comments on Tuesday, Orlowski said her plea had been a spontaneous reaction after she observed how similar the shooting injuries had been to victims of routine gun crime in Washington. | In follow-up comments on Tuesday, Orlowski said her plea had been a spontaneous reaction after she observed how similar the shooting injuries had been to victims of routine gun crime in Washington. |
| "I have to say it was direct from my heart," she said in a series of television interviews. "I must have poked the underbelly, because I have gotten quite a few comments and phone calls and emails and tweets about it." | "I have to say it was direct from my heart," she said in a series of television interviews. "I must have poked the underbelly, because I have gotten quite a few comments and phone calls and emails and tweets about it." |
| The Pentagon was coming under pressure to release the findings of an investigation, commissioned in September last year, into whether the navy in Washington and Virginia was conducting effective background checks to contractors. | The Pentagon was coming under pressure to release the findings of an investigation, commissioned in September last year, into whether the navy in Washington and Virginia was conducting effective background checks to contractors. |
| The audit of the Navy Commercial Access Control System, conducted by the Department of Defense's inspector general, is due to be released "shortly", an official said. | |
| The defence official declined to give a precise date or time for the release, or comment on a report that said the audit criticised the navy over lax security procedures, a consequences of cost-cutting measures. | The defence official declined to give a precise date or time for the release, or comment on a report that said the audit criticised the navy over lax security procedures, a consequences of cost-cutting measures. |
| The AP reported that while the audit report criticised the navy's clearance of private company, it concerned a different category of contractor to Alexis, who had to undergo more thorough and detailed background checks. | The AP reported that while the audit report criticised the navy's clearance of private company, it concerned a different category of contractor to Alexis, who had to undergo more thorough and detailed background checks. |
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