Civilian snuck onto Navy ship, killing sailor

In an alarming security breach, a civilian was able to make his way onto a U.S. Navy destroyer at the U.S’s largest naval base in Virginia, and fatally shoot a sailor before security personnel shot and killed him. 

{mosads}The shooting took place approximately at 11:20 p.m. Monday evening at Naval Station Norfolk’s Pier 1, on board the USS Mahan, according to the Navy. 

According to CNN, the civilian had credentials to be at the base and the pier, since he had worked at the installation previously, but did not have credentials to board the ship. 

The man approached the quarterdeck when sailors on security confronted him, and during a struggle, the civilian used the petty officer of the watch’s gun to kill a different sailor that came to help, according to CNN. Naval security forces then killed the suspect, the Navy said. 

The shooting and the details surrounding it are under investigation, the Navy said.

The event raises concerns following a shooting last September where a civilian contractor and former sailor had used his credentials to get onto the Washington Navy Yard before sneaking into a building and opening fire, killing 11 people and injuring three.