Families of Pensacola naval station shooting victims sue Saudi Arabia

The families of three U.S. service members who were killed and wounded in a 2019 mass shooting at the Naval Air Station Pensacola filed a complaint against Saudi Arabia on Monday alleging it helped facilitate the attack.

The Washington Post reports the complaint alleges that the shooter, Royal Saudi Air Force 2nd Lt. Ahmed Mohammed al-Shamrani, had “accomplices” supporting his attack, pointing to other Saudi Air Force trainees.

The complaint alleges that Shamrani had told them of his plans on two previous occasions.

The families further allege that Saudi authorities were aware of Shamrani’s radicalization as well as the anti-American statements that he posted online.

“None of the Royal Saudi Air Force trainees at the scene of the attack reported Al-Shamrani’s behavior nor did they try to stop the NAS Terrorist Attack. Because they supported it,” the families claim in their suit.

In the complaint, the families also said the Trump administration and the Saudi government did not follow through on promises to support the families of the victims, the Post reports.

“In the eyes of the American people, there is no greater betrayal than the realization that a purported ally is, in fact, an enemy, ” the complaint argues.

Former Attorney General William Barr announced last year that the attack would be considered an act of terrorism. He also stated that Shamrani had acted alone and there was no evidence to suggest there had been other acted with him in the attack.

According to the suit, Saudi Arabia has never attempted to discuss these claims with the families. 

The Post notes that this lawsuit comes as Saudi-U.S. relations are becoming strained amid the Biden administration cutting arms sales and calling out human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia.