By Tim Balk
New York Daily News
A gun-wielding U.S. sailor went on a rampage at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on Wednesday, killing two civilian workers and injuring another before shooting and killing himself, officials said.
The shooting, at about 2:30 p.m. local time, sent Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam into lockdown three days ahead of the anniversary of the infamous 1941 aerial attack on the Hawaii harbor. The base reopened by 4:15 p.m., officials said.
The gunman turned his weapon on himself at the end of the attack and took his own life, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam spokesperson Chuck Anthony confirmed in an email to the Daily News.
The shooting occurred near Dry Dock 2 at the base, according to authorities. Base security has launched an investigation into the incident.
Names of the victims were not immediately released by officials, pending the notification of family members.
Saturday will mark National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, memorializing the devastating military onslaught that killed 2,403 people on Dec. 7, 1941. The Japanese attack was described by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a "date which will live in infamy," and the U.S. declared its entry into World War II the following day.
The Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, located on Oahu, serves as the headquarters of the United States Pacific Fleet and doubles as an Air Force airfield. It's located about eight miles from downtown Honolulu.
Hawaii Gov. David Ige said the White House had reached out to offer help from federal agencies following the Wednesday shooting. "I join in solidarity with the people of Hawai'i as we express our heartbreak over this tragedy and concern for those affected by the shooting," Ige said in a tweet.
