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Social media shows NAS intruder sympathetic to Al-Qaeda

Posted at 7:43 PM, May 22, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-22 20:43:54-04

There is disturbing new information Friday about the man who was shot and killed by base security Thursday at Naval Air Station-Corpus Christi.

That information comes from a group that monitors the activities of jihadist organizations.

The SITE Intelligence Group has been looking into Adam Salim Alsahli’s social media accounts since he was linked to Thursday’s incident. Those accounts paint a troubling picture.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation officially identified the 20-year-old Alsahli as the gunman killed while trying to enter the Naval Air Station.

SITE Director Rita Katz tweeted Alsahli was active on several platforms, and often posted support for hardline Islamic clerics.

NBC News reported investigators also found terror-related communications on Alsahli’s devices. Federal agents raided his home in the 4600 block of Greensboro Drive on Thursday evening, but didn’t comment on what they found.

There are also questions about whether or not Alsahli was acting alone.

“We may have a potential second related person of interest at-large in the community, but we encourage the public to remain calm,” said FBI Senior Supervisory Agent Leah Greeves.

So far, no details have been released about that second person of interest.

Alsahli had no connection to NAS-CC, but Thursday’s incident was the second terror-related shooting at a naval air training base in six months. Officials recently concluded Al-Qaeda was responsible for December’s shooting at NAS Pensacola. There’s been no direct connection made between the incidents, but the investigation continues.

The FBI said there are no other updates planned right now, but anyone with information should call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).

The north gate at NAS-CC remains closed until further notice.