Four Marines Killed in US Military Shootings, Gunman Dead

Local Editor

Four Marines were killed Thursday in twin shootings at US military centers in the southern state of Tennessee, officials said, opening a probe into what they said was a possible act of "domestic terrorism."

At least two people were injured during the incidents in Chattanooga -- a police officer and a Marine Corps recruiter. The gunman was shot dead, city mayor Andy Berke told reporters.

The incident served as an ugly reminder of other deadly shootings at US military installations, including a 2009 rampage at Fort Hood that left 13 dead and a 2013 attack at the Navy Yard in Washington that left 12 dead.

"It is incomprehensible to see what happened and the way that individuals who proudly serve our country were treated," Berke said, praising the quick response by law enforcement to prevent further loss of life.

Bill Killian, the US federal prosecutor in that part of Tennessee, said the shootings were being investigated as an "act of domestic terrorism," but officials cautioned that no one should jump to conclusions.

"We are looking at every possible avenue -- whether it was terrorism, whether it was domestic, international or whether it was a simple criminal act," FBI special agent Ed Reinhold said.

The Marine Corps confirmed that all four victims were killed at a Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center. The second shooting, at the hands of the same man, occurred at a recruitment center several miles away.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team