Governor Bill Haslam said at a late-night press conference after a tragic Chattanooga mass shooting, "A great city has a broken heart tonight."
He was joined at the TVA Building by Senator Bob Corker, the former Chattanooga mayor, who said, "I know our community will come together to comfort these families to this senseless thing, which has shaken our nation."
Four Marines were killed late Thursday morning at the Naval Reserve Center by the Riverpark, and a female sailor was in "very serious condition" at Erlanger Hospital.
FBI Agent in Charge Ed Rinehold said he had "no idea" what motivated a 24-year-old Hixson man, Muhammad Abdulazeez, to carry out the attack. He was killed after smashing his rented Mustang into a fence at the military center.
He also said that the shooter has not been tied in with any terrorist group thus far.
Agent in Charge Rinehold said Abdulazeez "has been in various locations," and the FBI is checking out all of those as well as all his contacts in Chattanooga.
As far as a woman being led from the Abdulazeez home in Hixson in handcuffs, he said no one else was in custody. He said it was customary in such a search to secure individuals found inside the residence.
He said an autopsy will be conducted on the body of the shooter by the U.S. government to determine the cause of death. It is believed he was shot by a Chattanooga Police officer after he drove into the fence.
The incident at Amnicola Highway came just a short time after Abdulazeez fired multiple shots into a Navy recruiting center at a strip mall on Lee Highway. He then drove the seven miles to his next destination with city police in pursuit.
Agent in Charge Rinehold said the FBI will not be releasing the names of the Marines who were killed. He said that would be a decision for the Department of Defense.
He asked that anyone with information on the case call the FBI at 865 602-7582.
Asked the condition of a city police officer who was shot in the leg and rushed to Erlanger, Police Chief Fred Fletcher said, "He is doing as well as can be expected after being shot by a brazen criminal."
Mayor Andy Berke said he had met with some of the officers involved in the shootout at Amnicola Highway, including the officer who confronted the shooter. He said the officer said the training he had received was valuable in dealing with the situation and saving others from being killed.
He said another officer told of being saved by a fellow officer at the shooting scene.
The next press conference will be on Friday at 3 p.m.