SPD incident report
Aaron Alexis, the man identified by Washington D.C. police as a suspect in this morning’s tragic attack on a US Navy Yard, was previously arrested by Seattle police in 2004 for shooting out the tires of another man’s vehicle in what Alexis later described to detectives as an anger-fueled “blackout.”
At the time of his arrest it was claimed by Alexis that he suffered from PTSD. His father further clarified in the linked article that he was a rescuer in NYC during the events on and after 9/11.
We don't know why he attacked the Navy Yard and if he acted alone. The man from whom he stole an access badge from has been arrested. And one of the other suspected shooters has been cleared as a legitimate non-assailant. Some news sources are saying there are no other persons of interest and others claim there is still an active search.
The Washington Navy Yard shooter — identified as Aaron Alexis, 34, a former Navy aeronautics electrician from Fort Worth, Texas. Alexis apparently entered the yard using a stolen ID that belonged to Rollie Chance, a civilian Navy employee placed on administrative leave nearly a year ago.
For reasons not yet explained, Chance’s ID was still valid and allowed Alexis to enter a building and open fire on the victims.
It is still early in this case for investigative reports to be consistent.
The FBI is asking for all information regarding Alexis to be forwarded to them.
The FBI is currently seeking information from the public on an individual by the name of Aaron Alexis, now deceased, believed to be responsible for the Washington Navy Yard shootings that occurred this morning at 8:20 in the southeast area of Washington, D.C. Alexis’ place of birth is Queens, New York, and his last known residence was Ft. Worth, Texas. If anyone has any information regarding Alexis, please contact your local field office or nearest American Embassy or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
I do know that mental health care is woefully underfunded and tragedies like this if not preventable would at least be foreseeable because of the neglect of the mentally ill.
It was obvious in 2004 that this man had difficulty adjusting and he shouLd have been receiving comprehensive care not the hodge podge bureaucratic maze that is our current mental health system.
H/T to Robobagpiper: Seattle PD "lost" the paperwork so he was never charged.