Tennesse attack: Gunman Abdulazeez ‘sent war text’

Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez had reportedly told friends of his anger over Middle East conflicts, including Israeli bombing campaigns in Gaza and the civil war in Syria
Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez had reportedly told friends of his anger over Middle East conflicts, including Israeli bombing campaigns in Gaza and the civil war in Syria

The night before a gunman killed five US service personnel in Tennessee, he sent a text message linking to a religious verse about “declaring war”, reports say.
Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez also spoke out against conflicts in the Middle East, according to the Reuters agency. Police have said his motives are still being investigated.His family said Abdulazeez, who was killed in a shootout with police, suffered from depression.
In a statement expressing “horror” at the attack, his family said: “The person who committed this horrible crime was not the son we knew and loved.
“For many years, our son suffered from depression. It grieves us beyond belief to know that his pain found its expression in this heinous act of violence.”
Meanwhile, Reuters and the New York Times say they have seen a text sent the night before to a friend linking to a passage of Islamic text – Hadith 38 – containing the verse: “Whosoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine, I will indeed declare war against him.”
The friend, who requested anonymity, said he thought nothing of the text at the time, but now wonders if it was a hint at the attack to come.
Other friends also told Reuters that Abdulazeez spoke of his anger about conflicts in the Middle East, including Israeli bombing campaigns in Gaza and the civil war in Syria, after returning from a trip to Jordan last year.
“He had always talked about it, but I’d say his level of understanding and awareness really rose after he came back,” said one of the friends interviewed.
They said he had purchased three guns online following the visit, and used them for target practice. – BBC News