After death of four persons in Florida shooting on Friday by hands of a Saudi national, hashtags defending Saudi people and condemning the shooting were circulated across various social media platforms.
Four people, including the shooter, died on Friday at the Pensacola, Florida Naval Air Station by hands of a Saudi national. This marked the second deadly shooting at a US military facility in less than a week.
The shooting came just two days after a 22-year-old active duty sailor opened fired on three civilian employees at the naval shipyard at Pearl Habor in Hawaii. Two of his victims succumbed to their injuries, and the attacker fatally shot himself before police could intervene.
Under the motto of “Florida Criminal Doesn’t Represent Us,” Saudis widely spread that hashtag which has become a trending in the Kingdom and other countries around the world.
A Saudi Twitter user wrote: “As a Saudi, I am appalled at the unimaginable crime committed by someone who does not represent our values. We have consistently fought alongside our American allies against terrorism. My deepest condolences!”
Florida Shooting Official Reactions
President Donald Trump has spoken with the King of Saudi Arabia about the shooting, he said on Twitter.
"The King said that the Saudi people are greatly angered by the barbaric actions of the shooter, and that this person in no way shape or form represents the feelings of the Saudi people who love the American people," the president said.
Saudi King Salman Abdulaziz Al-Saud expressed "deep sadness and sorrow" in the call, state-run SPA news reported. The king told the President that he ordered Saudi services to cooperate with the investigation, according to SPA.
The FBI has taken over the investigation, according to an FBI spokeswoman.
The shooting comes just two days after an active duty US sailor, Gabriel Romero, killed two civilian employees and injured another before killing himself at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii. Investigators have not announced a motive for the Wednesday shooting.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly said the Navy was "struck and deeply saddened" by the recent attacks, including an incident in Little Creek, Virginia.
"These acts are crimes against all of us," Modly said. "Our prayers are with the families of the fall and the wounded.
The White House and the governor's office reached out to local authorities to offer assistance, Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said.
Naval Air Station Pensacola employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel, according to the base's website. Many families also live there, said retired Rear Adm. John Kirby, CNN's military and diplomatic analyst, who was once stationed there.
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