US Navy sailor kills two in shooting at Pearl Harbor base, then takes own life

HONOLULU, Hawaii－A sailor shot three civilians, killing two of them, before taking his own life at Pearl Harbor just days before thousands were scheduled to gather at the storied military base to mark the 78th anniversary of the Japanese bombing that launched the United States into World War II.

Rear Admiral Robert Chadwick, commander of Navy Region Hawaii, said the service would evaluate whether security needed to be upgraded ahead of the annual ceremony. About a dozen survivors of the 1941 bombing were expected to attend, along with dignitaries and service members.

Chadwick said he didn't know the motive behind the shooting at the naval shipyard within the base. The third victim was hospitalized.

It wasn't known if the sailor and the three male civilians had any type of relationship, or what the motive was for the shooting, Chadwick said.

"We have no indication yet whether they were targeted or if it was a random shooting," Chadwick said.

The sailor was assigned to the fast-attack submarine USS Columbia, which is currently at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for maintenance. Details about the sailor were not immediately released.

It wasn't immediately known what type of weapon was used or how many shots were fired. Chadwick said those questions are part of the investigation. Personal weapons are not allowed on the base.

Names of the victims won't be released until next of kin have been notified.

"Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and everyone involved. I can say that we are mobilizing support services for naval shipyard personnel as well as everyone else who may be affected by this tragic event," Chadwick said.

The base went into lockdown around 2:30 pm when the first active shooter reports were received. The base reopened a few hours later. Witnesses were still being interviewed hours after the shooting.

The shipyard repairs, maintains and modernizes the ships and submarines of the US Pacific Fleet, which is headquartered at Pearl Harbor. The base is the home port for 10 destroyers and 15 submarines. It also hosts Air Force units.

Hawaii Governor David Ige said the White House has offered assistance from federal agencies and the state is also ready to help if needed.

Mass shootings are rare in Hawaii. In 1999, a Xerox service technician fatally shot seven co-workers. In 2006, a man fatally shot his taxi driver and a couple taking photos of the city lights from a lookout point in the hills above Honolulu.

Hawaii had the lowest gun death rate among the US states in 2017, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The islands have strict firearms laws, including a ban on assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines.