Terror attack? Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis calls for gun restrictions after Pensacola shooting

Jim Little, Kevin Robinson and John Bacon, USA TODAY

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Saudi military pilot who killed three people and wounded several others at a naval air station took advantage of a gun ownership "loophole" for foreign nationals that must be closed, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

At a news conference late Sunday, DeSantis said he had believed that only foreign law enforcement officers could legally possess or purchase firearms in the USA. The FBI, however, said the shooter legally purchased in Florida the 9mm handgun he used in Friday's rampage at the sprawling base that is home to more than 23,000 military and civilian personnel, including the iconic Blue Angels aerobatic flight team.

The governor said he would urge President Donald Trump and other federal decision makers to change policies that allow foreign nationals to arm themselves.

"I’m a big supporter of the Second Amendment, but the Second Amendment applies so that we, the American people, can keep and bear arms," said DeSantis, a Republican. "It does not apply to Saudi Arabians."

From left, Air Force Col. G. Brian Eddy; Navy Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of Naval Operations; and Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly pause for prayer at the ramp of an Air Force cargo plane carrying the remains of victims of a Saudi gunman Dec. 8 at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
From left, Air Force Col. G. Brian Eddy; Navy Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of Naval Operations; and Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly pause for prayer at the ramp of an Air Force cargo plane carrying the remains of victims of a Saudi gunman Dec. 8 at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

It is not clear under what criteria the shooter could legally purchase the gun. Federal law allows some foreign nationals to possess and purchase guns in the USA, including official representatives of their government who are accredited with the U.S. government.

Rachel Rojas, FBI special agent in charge, said authorities were investigating the motive for the attack by a second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force who was studying at Pensacola's Naval Aviation Schools Command. She said the attack was being investigated as a possible act of terrorism.

Investigators interviewed the gunman's friends and colleagues, trying to determine whether he acted alone or was part of a network, she said.

Pensacola gunman legally purchased Glock 45: DeSantis blames 'loophole'

The Navy identified the victims as Airman Mohammed Hathaim, 19, of St. Petersburg, Florida; Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23, of Coffee, Alabama; and Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters, 21, of Richmond Hill, Georgia. The bodies were flown Sunday night to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where a solemn transfer ceremony took place.

"The Blue Angels are here, and you do something like this," DeSantis said. "We're going to get the answers, and there's going to be accountability. And I'm going to do whatever I can as governor to make sure that happens."

DeSantis cited a problem with the vetting process of foreign military members training in the USA. Hours before the Pensacola shooting, tweets purportedly written by the suspect railed against the United States for its support of Israel and for stationing troops at bases in Saudi Arabia.

FBI investigates rampage as act of terrorism: Saudi student recorded attack

Rojas declined to confirm the tweets came from the Saudi military trainee. Rita Katz, director of the U.S.-based SITE intelligence group that tracks jihadist activity, said there was no reason to believe the tweets were not from the shooter.

The now-deleted Twitter account was created in 2012 and amassed more than 2,700 tweets, Katz said.

"I think there's a frustration with this," DeSantis said. "You have foreign military personnel coming to our base. They should not be doing that if they hate our country."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pensacola shooting: Gun restrictions eyed after possible terror attack