#HappeningNow: Director Wray joins @TheJusticeDept for a virtual press conference to provide an update on the investigation into the December 6, 2019, shootings at the Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida. justice.gov/live
Director Wray: We’re here today because of a tragic reminder of just how grave, how imminent, the terrorism threat still is—an Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) associate’s murder of three people, and wounding of eight others, right here in America.
Wray: As the AG described, through a combination of skill and determination, the men and women of the FBI have succeeded in accessing the terrorist’s two phones—both of which he tried to destroy.
Wray: Our investigation into December’s terror attack in Pensacola continues, so there are limits to what I can say today. This is an important moment in an important case b/c of what accessing the evidence on this killer’s phones allows us to do to protect the American people.
Wray: It’s important because it underlines just how serious our fight against terrorism is, and how vital it is for the FBI to maintain its unflagging vigilance against this threat.
Wray: The evidence we’ve been able to develop from the killer’s devices shows that the Pensacola attack was actually the brutal culmination of years of planning and preparation by a longtime AQAP associate.
Wray: The new evidence shows that al-Shamrani had radicalized not after training here in the U.S. but at least as far back as 2015, and that he had been connecting and associating with a number of dangerous AQAP operatives ever since.
Wray: Thanks to a lot of hard work by our people, we now know that al-Shamrani continued to associate with AQAP even while living in Texas and in Florida, and that in the months before the attack, while he was here among us, he talked with AQAP about his plans and tactics.
Wray: He wrote a final will, purporting to explain himself, and saved it in his phone. The exact same will that AQAP released two months later when they initially claimed responsibility.
Wray: He wasn’t just coordinating with them about planning and tactics—he was helping the organization make the most it could of his murders. And he continued to confer with his AQAP associates right until the end, the very night before he started shooting.
Wray: We are still exploiting the evidence we’ve now obtained from al-Shamrani’s phones, and we’re continuing to run our investigation, now with the benefit a lot more insight into the murderer’s mind and intentions, his relations with AQAP, and his tactics.
Wray: We have more to learn, but we know enough now to see al-Shamrani for what he was—a determined AQAP terrorist, who spent years preparing to attack us.
Wray: We now have a picture of him we didn’t have before we obtained this evidence—before we could confirm that his connection to AQAP was real; before we could track his long and methodical path to violence. A picture we would never had obtained without accessing his devices.
Wray: This case is a potent reminder, for anyone who needed one, of the stakes of our work. We protect the American people from a staggering range of threats. But make no mistake, securing the homeland against terrorism remains our top priority.
Wray: At the FBI, we remain laser-focused on the terrorism threat, not just because of how much damage an attack can cause our country, but also because we know that even as we speak, there are evolving and sophisticated groups around the world intent on striking us.
Wray: Our people are attacking every aspect of the terrorism threat—international, like we’re here talking about today, and domestic—with dedication, expertise, and innovation to more than match the evolving threat, and a commitment to getting the job right.
Wray: I want to thank and congratulate the men and women at the FBI who devoted months of hard work to accessing these devices. They successfully tackled a problem that required tenacity, creativity, and technical expertise.
Wray: We canvassed every partner, and every company, that might have had a solution to access these phones. None did, despite what some claimed in the media. So we did it ourselves.
Wray: Unfortunately, the technique that we developed is not a fix for our broader Apple problem—it’s of pretty limited application. But it has made a huge difference in this investigation.
Wray: The delay getting into these devices didn’t just divert personnel from other important work, it also seriously hampered this investigation.
Wray: Finally getting our hands on the evidence al-Shamrani tried to keep from us it great. But we really needed it months ago, back in December, when the Court issued its warrants.
Wray: In the weeks immediately following December 6, we conducted over 500 interviews of witnesses, base personnel, and the shooter’s friends, classmates, and associates—among many other efforts.
Wray: Because the crucial evidence on the killer’s phones was kept from us, we did all that investigating not knowing what we do now: valuable intelligence about what to ask, what to look for. If we had, our round-the-clock, all-hands effort would have been a lot more productive.
Wray: Cybercrime, opioid trafficking, child sexual exploitation, you name it. Lack of lawful access affects every fight we’re in, and Americans need to understand that this isn’t just an issue for law enforcement.
Wray: In this case, we and our partners aren’t the only ones who needed this information months ago. The victims – those who were wounded or lost loved ones that day – deserved to know then what happened.
Wray: We at the FBI never forget that three brave members of our armed forces were killed in this attack. They were Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham, Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson, and Airman Cameron Scott Walters. They were serving our country. They died as heroes.
Wray: I want to end by also extending my and the FBI’s thanks to all our partners. Our partners are essential to everything we do, and this case has been a perfect example of that.
Wray: Finally, to the victims and their families, know that our work continues. Right now, we and our partners are exploiting the evidence from this investigation, pursuing the killer’s potential associates and the new evidence these devices can lead us to.
Wray: We and our JTTF colleagues come in every day dedicated to preventing terrorism from any place, by any actor—and our work will never rest.
Read FBI Director Wray’s full press conference remarks here: fbi.gov/news/pressrel/…
Attorney General William P. Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray Announce Significant Developments in the Investigation of the Naval Air Station Pensacola Shooting justice.gov/opa/pr/attorne… @TheJusticeDept @FBIJacksonville
