Netanyahu sends condolences over Navy Yard shooting
'We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims,' PM writes in letter to Obama
In the wake of the Washington, DC, Navy Yard shooting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday sent a condolence letter to US President Barack Obama.
“On behalf of the people of Israel, please accept my heartfelt condolences following the tragedy at the Washington Navy Yard,” Netanyahu wrote. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims of this heinous crime, and we pray for a speedy recovery for the injured.”
On Monday Aaron Alexis killed 12 people and injured eight when he opened fire at the Navy base on the outskirts of the US’s capital. The soldier-turned-defense contractor stood on a balcony and shot at his victims in an atrium below.
Alexis was shot to death at the end of a gunbattle with security forces who rushed to the scene.
The motive for the attack was still unclear, investigators said. Mayor Vincent Gray said there was no indication it was a terrorist attack, but the possibility had not been ruled out.