Posted on 07/18/2015 11:35:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
An FBI official said this afternoon that they so far have “no indication” that Chattanooga gunman Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez was “inspired by or directed by anyone other than himself.”
Special agent in charge Ed Reinhold disputed an earlier assertion from House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas) that ISIS is likely involved.
“My judgment and my experience is that it was an ISIS-inspired attack,” McCaul told reporters at a press conference at Florida’s MacDill Air Force Base. “The targets are identical to the targets called by ISIS to attack.”
Abdulazeez wrote two blog posts on July 13 in which he talked about “what role we need to play to establish Islam in the world.”
“We have not classified it as an act of terrorism,” Reinhold stressed, noting the FBI “will treat it as an act of terrorism until it’s determined one way or the other.”
“We do not believe there’s an imminent threat to anyone in the Chattanooga area,” he added, noting the ISIS connection remains a “possibility.”
There were also questions about how Abdulazeez managed to kill four Marines at the Naval Reserve center even though he already had police on his tail from the site of the first shooting, at a strip mall military recruitment office.
The four Marines killed were Staff Sgt. David A. Wyatt of Burke, N.C.; Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan of Hampden, Mass.; Lance Cpl. Skip Wells of Cobb Ga.; and Sgt. Carson Holmquist of Polk, Wis.
Reinhold said they’re still studying the crime scenes to determine exactly what happened. “He was a moving target and he was obviously able to kill four Marines and wound the one sailor,” the agent said. “These officers were under a tremendous amount of gunfire from this individual.”
There’s “no indication” that Abdulazeez took his own life in the shootout, he confirmed.
Reinhold said Abdulazeez was wearing a load-bearing vest and carrying “at least two long guns — rifles or shotguns — and he did have one handgun that we’re aware of.”
“Some of the weapons were purchased legally and some may not have been,” he said.
Reinhold confirmed that investigators overseas are studying the gunman’s travel. Reuters reported that he may have stopped in Yemen last year when he went to visit family in Jordan.
Last week, the new leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Qasim al-Rimi, issued an audio message directing Muslims to “direct and gather your arrows and swords against” the United States.
ISIS published a new issue of its magazine Dabiq this week with a page dedicated to its “soldiers” in the West, what the U.S. government calls “lone wolves.” While the Islamic State’s members and online supporters have tweeted support for Abdulazeez, with many changing their Twitter avatars to his booking photo, there hasn’t been an official claim of responsibility from ISIS leadership.
Abdulazeez, who was born in Kuwait to Jordanian parents of Palestinian descent, had no prior encounters with law enforcement expect an April driving under the influence arrest, for which he was scheduled to appear in court at the end of this month.
His mother filed for divorce from his father in 2009, stating in court documents reported by the Chattanooga Times Free Press that he beat their five children and inflicted physical, verbal and sexual abuse on her. He also told her he was going to take a second wife “as permitted under certain circumstances under Islamic law.”
Rasmia Abdulazeez withdrew the complaint against Youssuf Saed Abdulazeez, a soil engineering specialist for the Chattanooga Department of Public Works, 22 days later after he agreed to counseling and other terms.
Senate gun-control advocate Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said they need to study how they could have prevented Abdulazeez, an electrical engineering graduate employed in a supervisory role, from acquiring the guns.
“The despicable, devastating domestic terror attacks in Chattanooga show the urgent need for a comprehensive, overall review and revamping of security practices and policies at recruiting offices and reserve facilities,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “We need comprehensive review – and reform – to assure sufficient security. These brutal, brazen murders are a chilling reminder of the need to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people and deranged shooters.”
Tennessee congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R) told CNN that the murders will move Islamic extremism to the front of Congress’ agenda.
“People are very concerned about homeland security. They’re concerned about what is happening on the security front in our world, whether it’s the Iran deal, dealing with ISIS, dealing with radical Islamic extremists,” Blackburn said. “What they want to know is that, in their homes, in their communities, they’re going to be safe, their children are going to be safe. So that issue will move more to the forefront, I think, as we move through the balance of this congressional session.”
Just a random act of violence.
Jugheads. When I was a kid, the FBI only hired smart people. These guys are full of sh*t. ISIS instructed their “lone wolves” to do this. This cowardly bass turd was following their orders.
Just more lies and BS. SOP for this administration.
Obama’s FBI said.....
They are just another arm of the Ministry of Truth. It isn't terrorism until it is politically useful to Imam Obama.
but the states attorney got out in front and declared it to be a terrorist act.
Having visited Jordan and then Yemen, the murderer became an international terrorist. The fact can not be denied
Barack Obama is the foremost and real American enemy
TRUMP WILL FIRE THESE FBI ASS KISSING COWARDS THE FIRST DAY HE IS PRESIDENT.
I thought the Feds had already been investigating him because of an overseas trip he took last year.
This stuff will go on until we stop allowing Muslims to immigrate.
Simple.
.
Further....State Department officials are forbidden to even query an immigrant’s ideological position on jihad and Islamic law before approving his visa application......They are not allowed to find out whether they are good fits to live in our Republic, to pledge unreserved allegiance to our Constitution, to live under rule of man-made law, and to assimilate into our Judeo-Christian-based society...
So the hands of everyone are tied no thanks to the infiltration of Muslims in Washington throughout all our governing networks.
The lone gunman-truly American!
I have a question: The bullet holes in the glass doors appear to pattern from near 8 o’clock to about 2 o’clock. Isn’t this indicative of full auto shooting? I read the guy had an AK, but the FBI is standing by “no connection”, that’s absurd.
There’s about 800 new refugees a month coming from just one country, Somalia, arguably the most jihadist-rich country in the world...there is no telling how many have become radicalized or are in the process of being radicalized.
When you figure they’re coming from many of the Islamic nations.....it would be very easy to call this colonization of America...and this to change the face of America....just as Obama said he’d do...and he’s not finished.
Once they’re here there is no solution any politician will take to remove them...done deal and the immigrants and refugees know it before coming here.
When the FBI fails it is a lone wolf that couldn’t have possibly been discovered even though they are capturing all electronic communications. You will also note that the FBI rushed in and seized all the family’s computers and his personal belongings that will never see the light of day so we only have their word for it.
Now if it would have been one of the geniuses that cannot even cross the street unaided, supplied with plans and weapons by their operatives and capture held in abeyance until needed to distract from other Administration failures, then they would be screaming from the rooftops on how good they are.
He had 8 months in Jordan and Yemen not only to fine tune his already “practice” at shooting...but to be set up with the guns and ammo and paraphenalia used....
Karen Jones, who lived next to the family for 14 years, said she was somewhat surprised last weekend by ‘his appearance’ when she saw him walking with another man in woods behind the house, where ‘he liked to shoot pellet guns at a red target suspended in a tree.’....
To say that this guy operated alone is wrong to the greatest degree....
The fbi is a political organization, and not a law enforcement agency. It carries out the wishes of the president, and does not respect right or wrong.
Yes I know the dog had rabies, but why did he bite those people?
Nope. We let FAR too many in over the past decades. The country was so much better off with strict immigration laws that favored Western Europe and educated, productive, and healthy immigrants who willingly assimilated. We are in deep trouble with the huge number of hostiles living here.
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