Gunman Who Killed 4 Marines at Tennessee Military Sites Identified as Kuwaiti-Born Engineer Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez

Little is known about 24-year-old Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez or what motivated his deadly shooting spree

Photo: Hamilton County Sheriffs Office/AP)

The gunman who shot and killed four Marines in two attacks at military facilities in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Thursday has been identified as Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez.

Little is known about the 24-year-old or what motivated his deadly shooting spree. Abdulazeez, who died Thursday, was born in Kuwait, an official told Fox News, but it’s unclear whether he’s a U.S. or Kuwaiti citizen.

The spelling of his first name is up for debate as well, the Associated Press reports. Federal authorities and records showed at least four different variations.

Abdulazeez was not on the FBI’s radar prior to Thursday’s attack and has not yet been connected to any terrorist organizations, though the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center did say that ISIS has been encouraging its followers to carry out attacks in the United States.

An acquaintance who went to the same high school as Abdulazeez described him as a popular student. “He was very outgoing,” 21-year-old Hussnain Javid said. “Everyone knew of him.” He also said that Abdulazeez studied engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Authorities have not confirmed how Abdulazeez died, but multiple reports state that he was killed by law enforcement. One police officer was injured by gunfire from the suspect while pursuing him, though he’s expected to make a full recovery.

“We are treating this as an act of domestic terrorism,” said Bill Killian, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, on Thursday afternoon.

President Barack Obama commented Thursday on the incident, saying, “My main message right now is deepest sympathies of the American people to the four Marines that have been killed. It is a heartbreaking circumstance for these individuals who’ve served our country with great valor to be killed in this fashion.”

The identities of the four victims are expected to be revealed later on Friday.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.