Mohammed Bin Salman, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, expressed his condolences over the Pensacola shooting in a phone call with President Donald Trump on Sunday, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Twitter.
The crown prince, better known as MBS, assured Trump that the country is willing to cooperate with the U.S. authorities, including “providing them with information that helps in investigations related to the perpetrator and his motives,” the ministry said.
What Happened
A 21-year old aviation student from Saudi Arabia opened fire at the Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida on Friday, killing three people and injuring eight others, the Associated Press reported.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Al-Saud had earlier denounced the killings and expressed cooperation in a phone call with Trump on Friday, according to the Associated Press.
Why It Matters
The Pensacola shooting is seeing President Trump and other republicans take different stands.
Trump has focussed on playing down the incident, highlighting the Saudi cooperation in the matter, as noted by the Washington Post, while his allies are calling for harsher measures.
South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally in the impeachment inquiry, called for the suspension of the military training program with Saudi Arabia, of which the shooter was a part, pending further investigation, the Associated Press reported.
Another Trump ally, Florida senator Matt Gaetz, whose district includes the affected naval base, said that the program shouldn’t take any new Saudi student until the U.S. is sure of its “vetting process.”
The FBI said on Sunday that it is investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism.
Photo Credit: The White House via Wikimedia
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