Internal Review of the Washington Navy Yard Shooting. A Report to the Secretary of Defense
Abstract
On September 16, 2013, Aaron Alexis, a Navy contractor employee with a Secret security clearance, shot and killed 12 U.S. Navy civilian and contractor employees and wounded several others at the Washington Navy Yard. Alexis was also killed. Following mass shootings and other incidents of targeted violence, the immediate question that springs to mind is "What did we miss?" The Department asked this question in 2009 after Major Nidal Hasan shot and killed 13 people and wounded 43 others in Fort Hood, Texas. We asked this question in 2012 after Specialist Ricky Elder fatally shot his battalion commander and then turned the gun on himself. We are asking this question again today, in the wake of the tragedy at the Washington Navy Yard. Guided by the Terms of Reference (Appendix A), the Internal Review Team conducted an exhaustive examination of Alexis' historical record provided by the Department of the Navy (Appendix B) and applicable personnel security and installation access policy. The team also analyzed previous incidents in which an insider inflicted significant harm, in order to gain a better understanding of the causes and common characteristics of these events. The results of the team's examinations provide the basis for the findings and recommendations in this report.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 20, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA602573
Entities
Organizations
- Office Of The Under Secretary Of Defense