Two of the Four Marines Killed in Chattanooga Shooting Identified
Two of the four Marines killed in a deadly rampage on Thursday in Chattanooga, Tennessee have been identified, officials say.
Skip Wells of Marietta, Georgia and Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan of Massachusetts are two of the four Marines to be identified in the Thursday morning shooting carried out by 24-year-old suspect Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez at the Armed Forces Career Center and the Naval Reserve support center.
Abdulazeez, a Kuwait native who was a naturalized U.S. citizen, opened fire from his convertible vehicle at the Armed Forces Career Center at around 10:45 a.m. before leading officials on a chase and subsequent shootout at the Naval Reserve support center that reportedly lasted 20 minutes.
The suspect was killed during an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement.
According to the New York Daily News, one of the identified Marines, Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, was reportedly an Iraq War veteran and a Purple Heart recipient.
The FBI has said it remains unclear why Abdulazeez opened fire on the two military buildings on Thursday.
"We will be here several days processing crime scenes," Agent in Charge Ed Reinhold, a spokesperson for the FBI, said during a press conference, as reported by WRCB-TV.
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke also issued a statement calling the shooting a "nightmare" for the Tennessee town.
"Today was a nightmare for the city of Chattanooga," Mayor Berke said during a press conference Thursday afternoon, as reported by Military.com. "As a city, we will respond to this with every available resource that we have."