FBI says Washington Navy Yard shooter delusional, prepared to die in attack

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FBI says Washington Navy Yard shooter delusional, prepared to die in attack

(Xinhua) 08:13, September 26, 2013

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Investigations indicated the Washington Navy Yard shooter was delusional when he carried out the shooting rampage that killed 12 people and wounded four others, and he had been prepared to die in the attack, said FBI investigators on Wednesday.

Speaking at a news conference, Valerie Parlave, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, said Alexis was believed to act alone and there was no evidence he has targeted any particular victim.

Parlave said the investigation indicated that Alexis held a delusional belief that he was being controlled or influenced by extremely low frequency electromagnetic waves.

"Ultra low frequency attack is what I've been subject to for the last three months, and to be perfectly honest that is what has driven me to this," according to an electronic document of Alexis retrieved by the FBI.

Parlave said the shotgun carried by Alexis had several messages etched into it, including "End to the torment" and "My ELF weapon. "

The investigation also showed that Alexis "was prepared to die during the attack and that he accepted death as the inevitable consequence of his actions," said Parlave.

The FBI also released a 30-second surveillance footage of Aaron Alexis, the 34-year-old shooter, entering the building and moving through the hallways before he opened fire on Sept. 16.

In the closed-circuit video, Alexis drove a rented car into a garage in Navy Yard that served as the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Headquarters, later entered the building with a backpack on his left shoulder. The video then showed that he walked into a hallway inside the building with a sawed-off shotgun in hand and the badges attached to his T-shirt and pants. He found no one around and entered another hallway at the end of which several people were shown moving. Alexis hid behind a wall, watched them for a short while and headed toward them.

A total of 12 people were killed in the shooting incident, excluding the suspect killed in the engagement with police and later identified as Alexis.

（Editor：LiangJun、Zhang Qian）