Alleged Shooter Heard Voices
WASHINGTON (AP) - A police report says the Washington Navy Yard gunman heard voices during a stay in Rhode Island the month before the shooting rampage.
The defense contractor told police in early August that the voices were harassing and following him. In the following weeks, Aaron Alexis moved on to the Washington area for work, and law enforcement officials say he was being treated for serious mental problems. But his security clearance was not stripped, and the 34-year-old Alexis entered the sprawling installation Monday with a valid pass.
A picture of his path and what happened in the 30-plus-minute rampage emerged the day after the shooting that killed 12 victims and injured eight. But his motive remained a mystery, and other questions were left unanswered.
Security Review Ordered
WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is ordering the Pentagon to review the physical security of all U.S. defense facilities worldwide and the security clearances that allow access to them.
Hagel is also tasking an independent panel to undertake the same reviews. He said Wednesday that "where there are gaps, we will close them."
Hagel ordered the reviews in response to Monday's shooting rampage at the Washington Navy Yard, where the shooting took place.
Alexis, a former Navy reservist, had been undergoing mental health treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs since August but was not stripped of his security clearance. The assault is raising more questions about the adequacy of the background checks done on contract employees.
Navy Yard Reopens
WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Navy says several garages and all surface parking lots are opening at Washington Navy Yard for employees to retrieve their private vehicles.
The Navy says the military installation is reopening for business for Mission Essential personnel only on Wednesday after a shooting rampage on Monday. The garages will open at 9 a.m., but officials urged employees to stagger their times to retrieve cars to avoid any traffic jams.
In a posting on its Facebook page, the Navy said the yard remains an active crime scene. It will be open for business on Wednesday, and employees are urged to telecommute.
Access to Building 197 is prohibited. That is where Aaron Alexis fatally shot 12 people before he killed by police Monday.
A Nation Mourns
WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's capital paused Tuesday to mourn the 12 people killed in a shooting rampage at one of the oldest military installations.
After the mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, some complained that such violence has become all too commonplace. Some grappled with how society should change to prevent such shootings. Others reflected in silence. Victims of the gunman hailed from Washington and its Virginia and Maryland suburbs.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and military officials held a solemn tribute at the U.S. Navy Memorial on Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue. Hagel was joined by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey in laying a wreath at the memorial's "Lone Sailor" statue. A service member played "Taps," and military officials saluted.
Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, celebrated a special Mass of healing and consolation at St. Matthew's Cathedral downtown on Tuesday.
