Jordanian security investigators have interviewed the extended
family of Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, who last week killed five service
members at a Tennessee military center.
Authorities in
the U.S. and abroad are working to figure out what might have motivated the
24-year-old to shoot up a recruiting center in a strip mall in Chattanooga and
then drive to a Navy operations support center about 7 miles away and stage
another attack. He died in a gunfight with law enforcement.
Abdulazeez
visited Jordan in 2014, Jordanian government sources told CNN on Sunday. Since
Thursday's shooting, his relatives have been asked where he went and with whom
he spoke. The sources did not share details with CNN on what was gleaned from
those interviews.
Abdulazeez was
born in Kuwait and became a naturalized American citizen.
Jordanian sources
said he was able to freely travel to and from Jordan and had no known record of
criminality or anything in his background that would suggest he was radicalized
in his Islamic faith.
He was devout
Muslim, those who knew him say. His family issued a statement Saturday saying
he suffered from depression.
"It grieves
us beyond belief to know that his pain found its expression in this heinous act
of violence," the statement read.
"We extend
our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the honorable
servicemembers and police officers who were victims of the shooting our son
committed on Thursday in Chattanooga, Tennessee -- our community, and one we
have loved for over twenty-five years."
But CNN law
enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes said depression doesn't necessarily make anyone
more likely to kill.
"I think
mental health professionals would be not happy with what the parents are
assessing, in saying, 'Well, he was depressed, and therefore that's why he
became a killer like this,'" Fuentes said. "People with depression do
not turn, necessarily, into psychopathic killers -- as he did."
The attacks
At the recruiting center where
Abdulazeez began his rampage, several Marines inside went into combat mode and
helped everyone escape through the back door, a senior Defense Department
official said.
Abdulazeez then drove to a Navy operational support center and
opened fire, killing U.S. Navy Petty Officer Randall Smith as well as four
Marines: Thomas Sullivan, Squire "Skip" Wells, David Wyatt, and
Carson Holmquist.
A Marine
recruiter who was shot in the leg and a Chattanooga police officer identified
as Dennis Pedigo, who was shot in the ankle, survived.
Abdulazeez kept
police at bay before he was eventually shot, authorities said.
"All
indications are he was killed by fire from the Chattanooga police
officers," said Ed Reinhold, special agent in charge of the regional FBI
office. "We have no evidence he was killed by self-inflicted wounds."
Looking
for a motive
Abdulazeez has been described as an
accomplished student, a well-liked peer and a mixed martial arts fighter by
those who knew him.
Before the
attacks, Abdulazeez texted with a friend whom authorities have spoken with, law
enforcement sources told CNN on Sunday.
In response to a
message that the friend sent Abdulazeez -- which is not known -- Abdulazeez
responded with a text that said, "Whoever shows enmity to a friend of
Mine, then I have declared war against him," law enforcement officials
told CNN.
Sources said
there is nothing that conclusively indicates that message was any kind of
foreshadowing to the shootings.
It is being
looked at as one piece in a puzzle, they said.
Reuters first
reported the existence of the text, and said that the message was part of a
link that was texted that contained the line.
The New York Times also reported that the FBI is looking
into the text message.
Investigators
have talked to several of Abdulazeez's friends since the shooting and none of
them saw any behavior that would indicate he would launch an attack. One of the
sources said some family and friends have told authorities they detected some
changes in Abdulazeez's behavior since he returned to the U.S. from a trip to
Jordan last year. Separately, a friend of his told CNN he also detected some
changes since he returned.
Investigators
were told Abdulazeez visited Prentice Cooper Gun Range, but it is a public
range so there are no records to indicate when someone has visited a law
enforcement official told CNN. One of the sources said authorities don't know
whether Abdulazeez visited the gun range for recreational purposes or to
prepare for the attack.
U.S. Attorney
Bill Killian said the shootings are being investigated as an "act of
domestic terrorism," but he noted the incident has not yet been classified
as terrorism.
Reinhold said there is nothing to connect the attacker to ISIS
or other international terror groups. Abdulazeez was not on any U.S. databases
of suspected terrorists.
While he was a
devout Muslim, he didn't appear to be radical, according to some who knew him.
Jordanian
sources said Abdulazeez had been in Jordan as recently as 2014 visiting an
uncle. He had also visited Kuwait and Jordan in 2010, Kuwait's Interior
Ministry said.
A longtime
friend told CNN that Abdulazeez changed after spending time in the Middle East
and "distanced himself" for the first few months after returning to
Tennessee.
"Something
happened over there," Abdulrazzak Brizada said. "He never became
close to me like he was before he went overseas. ... I'm sure he had something
that happened to him overseas."
Shooter recalled
as good student, 'great kid'
Abdulazeez's
family said it has been cooperating with investigators "and will continue
to do so, as we understand there are many legitimate questions that need to be
answered."
"Having
said this, now is the time to reflect on the victims and their families, and we
feel it would be inappropriate to say anything more other than that we are
truly sorry for their loss," the family said.
Authorities have
seized four guns connected with
Abdulazeez, a law enforcement official said.
The assailant
had a handgun and two long guns when police killed him at the Navy Operational
Support Center; another rifle was seized when police searched his home, the
official said.
Abdulazeez
obtained at least one of his firearms from a seller via the Internet, law
enforcement sources told CNN, and at least two other firearms were bought from
licensed firearms dealers.
The handgun was
registered in his name, the source said. Officials believe the shotgun and
AK-47-style gun were legally obtained, the source said.
Beefing up security
In response to the shootings, some
governors have taken steps to increase security of National Guard recruiters
and military facilities in their states.
States control their National Guard units, so governors can make
decisions about Guard actions, whereas the president is commander in chief of
the nation's military branches.
Florida Gov.
Rick Scott has ordered National Guard members at six state recruitment centers
to be relocated to armories until security is improved. In addition, qualified
Guard members will be adequately armed.
"We're
going to do everything we can to make sure all of our guardsmen are safe,"
Scott told CNN. "We've got to understand that we have people in our
country that want to harm our military."
Texas Gov. Greg
Abbott's order will arm National Guard personnel at military facilities
throughout the state.
Oklahoma Gov.
Mary Fallin authorized the arming of certain full-time personnel in military
installations throughout the state.
"It is
painful enough when we lose members of our armed forces when they are sent in
harm's way," she said in a statement "But it is unfathomable that
they should be vulnerable for attack in our own communities."
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