Aaron Alexis and the 2013 Washington Navy Yard Massacre
The Washington Navy Yard Shooting
On September 16, 2013, Aaron Alexis carried out a mass shooting inside Building 197 at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. Alexis, a 34-year-old former Navy reservist working as a civilian information-technology contractor, entered the secure military installation with valid credentials. He concealed a shortened Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun inside a shoulder bag and used his familiarity with the building to move through the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command.
Alexis killed 12 civilian employees and contractors during the attack. Eight other people suffered injuries, including three who were wounded by gunfire. The shooting ended after an extended confrontation with law-enforcement officers, who fatally shot Alexis inside the building. Including Alexis, 13 people died at the Washington Navy Yard that morning.
Arrival and Preparation
Alexis arrived at the Washington Navy Yard in a rented Toyota Prius at approximately 7:53 a.m. on September 16. He possessed a valid access card because his employer had assigned him to perform computer-network work for the Navy. Security personnel permitted him to enter the installation without knowing that a disassembled shotgun was hidden inside his bag.
At approximately 8:08 a.m., Alexis entered Building 197 through its main entrance. He traveled to the fourth floor, an area where he had recently worked, and entered a restroom. Investigators determined that he assembled the shotgun there before walking into a large fourth-floor office area containing rows of cubicles surrounding an open atrium.
The Attack Begins
At approximately 8:16 a.m., Alexis began firing at employees in the fourth-floor work area. The first emergency calls were placed within about a minute. Workers attempted to hide beneath desks, barricade office doors or escape through stairwells while alarms and warnings spread through the building.
Alexis moved through the fourth floor and fired at people in offices and cubicles. Within the first several minutes, he had killed multiple employees and wounded others. He then moved to the third floor, where he continued shooting. The building's open atrium allowed him to observe people on different levels and fire from elevated positions.
During the attack, Alexis obtained a Beretta M9 pistol from security officer Richard Michael Ridgell after killing him. Alexis then used both the shotgun and the stolen handgun as police officers entered Building 197 and searched for the gunman.
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