Saudi shooter kills three in US navy base attack

• The shooting, which took place at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, left seven people injured including two sheriff's deputies who responded to the attack.
• "Walking through the crime scene was like being on the set of a movie," Morgan said. "You don't expect this to happen."

MIAMI: A Saudi military trainee opened fire on Friday at a US naval base, killing three people before being shot dead by police, local media and officials said.

The shooting, which took place at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, left seven people injured including two sheriff's deputies who responded to the attack, one of whom was shot in the knee, the other in the arm.

CNN reported that the shooter was in the military of Saudi Arabia.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families during this difficult time," President Donald Trump tweeted.

"We are continuing to monitor the situation as the investigation is ongoing."

Police received their first call about the shooting shortly before 7:00 am (1200 GMT), Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said. One of the responding deputies eventually killed the attacker.

"Walking through the crime scene was like being on the set of a movie," Morgan said. "You don't expect this to happen."

Local authorities were due to hold a press conference to provide further details.

Commanding officer Timothy Kinsella said the base's security forces first responded to the shooting before outside police agencies arrived.

The facility, which is used for training and made up mostly of classrooms, "is shut down until further notice," he said.

Witnesses to the shooting described a chaotic scene as police rushed to respond.

Federal agencies are investigating, authorities said, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Just two days prior on Wednesday, a US sailor fatally shot two people and wounded a third at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii before taking his own life.