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| 2013 Navy Yard shooting | |
|---|---|
| Title | 2013 Navy Yard shooting |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Date | September 16, 2013 |
| Time | 8:20 a.m. EDT |
| Type | mass shooting, workplace shooting |
| Fatalities | 12 (including the perpetrator) |
| Perpetrator | Aaron Alexis |
| Weapons | shotgun, pistol, rifle (reported) |
2013 Navy Yard shooting The 2013 Navy Yard shooting was a mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. on September 16, 2013, that killed twelve people and wounded several others before the gunman was shot and killed by law enforcement. The shooting prompted responses from the United States Navy, the United States Department of Defense, the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and multiple federal investigative agencies, and triggered reviews of facility security, personnel screening, and firearms policy.
The Washington Navy Yard is a historic naval shipyard and active Naval Base facility that houses offices for the United States Navy, the Naval Sea Systems Command, and civilian contractors such as Defense contractors and firms supporting the Department of Defense. The Yard in Southeast, Washington, D.C. had undergone redevelopment and hosted the Naval Historical Center and the National Museum of the United States Navy. In the months and years before the shooting, security at several federal installations including Fort Hood and the Pentagon had come under scrutiny after incidents at installations like the Fort Hood shooting and the September 11 attacks prompted federal reviews by entities including the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Homeland Security.
The attack began in the morning; an assailant armed with a shotgun and additional firearms entered Building 197 at the Washington Navy Yard, a facility occupied by personnel from Naval Sea Systems Command, the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and contractors. The initial 911 calls were received by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, which coordinated responses with the United States Park Police, the United States Capitol Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Tactical teams from the DC Special Operations Division and federal tactical units converged while United States Navy security officers and civilian employees sheltered in place under guidance from Homeland Security protocols. The assailant was killed in a confrontation with responding officers; the timeline and chain of events were examined by the FBI Criminal Investigative Division and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Twelve people were killed in the shooting, including civilian employees of the United States Navy, contractors, and federal staff. Among the wounded were employees who worked for Naval Sea Systems Command and contractors affiliated with private firms that provide services to the Department of Defense. Public officials, including the Mayor of the District of Columbia and members of the United States Congress, issued statements expressing condolences to families of the deceased and directives for federal agencies to review employee assistance programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The gunman was identified as Aaron Alexis, a former United States Navy reservist and civilian contractor who had worked on contracts for the Department of Defense and for private sector firms providing security and technical services. Alexis had served as a sonar technician and had been assigned to units connected to Naval Sea Systems Command activities during his time in the United States Navy Reserve. His employment with defense contractors and his background drew attention from investigators including the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit.
Investigations were conducted by a multi-agency task force comprising the FBI, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the ATF, and local law enforcement. The probe examined Alexis's service records with the United States Navy, his employment history with defense contractors, his interactions with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and his prior encounters with law enforcement in jurisdictions including New York City and Fort Worth, Texas. Investigators reviewed medical records, mental health treatment encounters, and firearms acquisitions under statutes such as the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and background checks conducted through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The motive was characterized as complex and multifactorial; investigative reports referenced Alexis's mental health complaints, grievances, and allegations of hearing voices, while concluding there was no single, definitive explanation that tied his motives to an organized group or widely known political agenda.
The shooting led to immediate policy reviews across the Department of Defense, the United States Navy, and federal contracting oversight bodies such as the Defense Contract Management Agency. Security protocols at the Washington Navy Yard and other military installations were reassessed, prompting changes to access control, contractor vetting, and coordination among the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, the United States Secret Service, and federal emergency management entities including the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Congressional hearings were held in committees including the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to scrutinize background check implementation under the Brady Act and interagency information-sharing with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Victim support initiatives were coordinated by the Red Cross, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and local nonprofit organizations, while the incident contributed to ongoing national debates about workplace violence, mental health services, and firearms regulation in the United States Congress.
Category:2013 crimes in the United States