Norton Says Report Shows that Navy Yard Shooting was Preventable

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), upon learning today that the Navy Yard shooter, Aaron Alexis, had convinced Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors that he was mentally stable shortly before killing 12 people, expressed great concern that the VA evaluation process did not pick up on his mental distress weeks after he had reported hearing voices, among other claims.

"Within a matter of weeks before the tragedy at the Navy Yard, Alexis was hearing voices and was clearly mentally unstable," said Norton. "He lost and regained a secret security clearance through a private contracting company, passed a VA evaluation process by convincing VA of his mental stability through a seemingly simple set of yes or no questions, and then killed 12 people here. Clearly there is a very problematic disconnect in the process. I am sure that the VA is responding to this report with care and attention, but we need to know what corrective action has been taken. I hope they focus on closing gaps in the process that could have been prevented this tragedy."

Norton also expressed concern with the infrequency of reinvestigations into individuals with "secret" security clearances, like Alexis had. While reinvestigation may vary by agency, generally persons with a "secret" clearance are reinvestigated every 10 years (while those with a top secret clearance are reinvestigated every 5 years). Alexis received a "secret" clearance in 2008 despite a 2004 arrest and violent incidents in the years preceding 2008. Even in light of this record, Alexis may not have been up for a reinvestigation until 2018, and the only reason for his VA evaluation was because he went to a VA emergency room.

Following the Navy Yard shooting in September, Norton wrote to President Obama urging him to form an independent panel to investigate the many security issues raised by the tragic mass shooting. She recommended a panel not only of law enforcement, intelligence, military and security experts, but also experts from such disciplines as technology, psychology, and city and land use planning, to get the needed fresh post-9/11 thinking on how to secure federal employees who work in facilities, like the Navy Yard, that are increasingly a part of a residential or business community.

Norton also met with the Capitol Police Union following the shooting, at their request, concerning the frustration of a Capitol Police tactical team that was ordered to stand down at the scene of the shooting. This controversy is an example of the issues that need to be investigated by the independent panel requested by Norton. An internal Capitol Police investigation found that tactical police forces were ordered to remain at the Capitol because it was not known initially if the Capitol was at risk. However, the Capitol was covered by other Capitol Police tactical teams, and it still is not known whether the Capitol Police tactical team at the scene could have saved lives without putting the Capitol at risk, assuming the appropriate coordination of police forces.

Norton offered remarks and led a moment of silence on the House floor in memory of the victims of the Navy Yard shooting and attended the memorial service at the Marine Barracks.

Published: January 31, 2014