Pensacola Naval station shooting: At least three victims killed, shooter ‘confirmed dead’

A shooter opened fire Friday morning at Naval Air Station Pensacola, leaving three people dead and several others injured before being killed by Florida law enforcement, authorities said.

It was unclear whether the three deceased victims were service members or civilians, said Lt. Cmdr. Megan Isaac, a Navy spokeswoman. Multiple people were transported to hospitals. Two of the wounded are Escambia County sheriff's deputies who are expected to survive, Chief Deputy Chip Simmons said during a Friday morning news conference.

Officials have not shared any details about the shooter.

The shooting at the Naval station was reported at 6:51 a.m. inside one of the classroom buildings, drawing a major law enforcement response. The base was placed on lockdown, the Navy said, with its gates secured. Approximately one hour later, the Escambia County Sheriff's Office announced that "there is no longer an active shooter on NAS Pensacola. The shooter is confirmed dead."

Little other information was immediately available about the incident at the military facility in Florida, which officials said would remain closed for the remainder of the day. During the news conference, authorities said they did not want to comment on the identity of the shooter.

Baptist Health Care said it had received eight patients from the shooting but could not yet report on their conditions.

"Our teams are treating patients and we are working with Navy personnel to communicate with family members," the hospital said in a statement.

Naval Air Station Pensacola, which hosts 16,000 military personnel and more than 7,000 civilians, is known as the "cradle of Naval aviation." It's home to the Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron and is the first stop for training to become Naval pilots or flight officers.

Base security and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are investigating, the Navy said in a statement, adding that victims' names "will not be released until the next of kin have been notified."

A White House spokesman said President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting "and is monitoring the situation." The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was responding to the base.

The Pensacola community is deeply entwined with the installation. Many residents either work there or have some ties to industry that sprawls alongside Pensacola Bay. The number of personnel assigned there is almost half the population of the city itself.

"NAS Pensacola is a huge source of pride for all of northwest Florida," Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., whose congressional district include the air station, said in a video published on Twitter.

The shooting in Florida came just two days after a gunman opened fire at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam near Honolulu, killing two and injuring a third before shooting and killing himself.

The shooter in that incident was identified as an active-duty U.S. Navy sailor and his three victims as civilian Defense Department employees working on the base’s shipyard.