Navy officials shot and killed a civilian who climbed onto a U.S. destroyer, seized a firearm from a member of the guard, then fatally shot a sailor on Monday night.
Commanding officer at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, Capt. Robert Clark told CNN that the civilian was shot at around 11:20 p.m. The incident occurred on board the USS Mahan, which was anchored at Pier 1.
Clark also said that the man was allowed to be on the premises of the base and the pier since he "worked at the installation at a previous time."
But these credentials did "not necessarily" mean that he was permitted to be on the ship. Law enforcement officials investigating the case reportedly probed whether he was on assignment at the Virginia base.
Both the suspect and victim's names haven't yet been released, pending familial notice, Clark said.
The unidentified man reportedly boarded the quarterdeck when he was approached by sailors working security. As the confrontation escalated, things got physical. While the man wrestled with officials, he managed to grab a firearm off of the petty officer.
He then used the gun to shoot and kill another sailor who had just arrived to help.
"Naval Security Forces then killed the suspect," Clark told CNN, adding that the civilian did not have a gun with he got to the Naval base.
Naval Station Norfolk went into a brief lockdown immediately after the shooting.
Clark stated that he was unsure why the man was on the premises on Monday night, and couldn't specify where he'd previously worked at the base.
Officials are slated to investigate security measures at the base, following the fatal shooting.
