Four Marines Killed and One Critical After Gunman Named Muhammad Abdulazeez Opened Fire on Two Tennessee Military Centers

Four Marines were killed this morning when a heavily-armed gunman opened fire on two military centers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in what is being described as an ‘act of domestic terrorism’.

Officials have not yet officially named the now-deceased shooter, but law enforcement sources identified the suspect to CBS as 24-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, originally from Kuwait.

He lived in Hixson, Tennessee, which is just a few miles across the river from Chattanooga. A spokesman for the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, said that a man named Youssuf Abdulazeez attended the school and graduated in 2012 with a degree in engineering.

Muhammad Abdulazeez

In addition to the four Marines who were killed, at least three others–including Chattanooga Police Officer Dennis Pedigo–were also injured. Pedigo is said to be in a stable condition.

Law enforcement have swarmed the house believed to belong to Abdulazeez. An Associated Press reporter saw officers with weapons drawn at the house and two females were led away in handcuffs. It’s not clear who these females are.

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The shooting started just before 11am on Thursday, when witnesses saw a single man drive into a strip mall and use a high-powered shotgun to fire more than a dozen rounds at a military recruitment office from his silver convertible Mustang.

The shooter then fled the scene and drove about eight miles north to a U.S. Naval Reserve center where he opened fire again, killing four Marines.

At an afternoon press conference, officials confirmed that there was no longer any risk to the community because the shooter had died.

They refused to reveal the cause of his death, but reports suggest he was shot dead my law enforcement.

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At an afternoon press conference, officials remained tight-lipped about details of the shooting, but said that it was being investigated as an  ‘act of domestic terrorism’.

They wouldn’t divulge what kind of weapons the shooter was using, but did confirm that he had multiple weapons on his person.

The investigation is being coordinated by the FBI, since crimes on military centers are under federal jurisdiction.

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