FBI releases terrifying footage of the Navy Yard shooter

New details emerge about alleged shooter Aaron Alexis

Washington Navy Yard shooter
(Image credit: FBI.gov)

In surveillance footage newly released by the FBI, Aaron Alexis, the 34-year-old gunman allegedly responsible for killing 12 people at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., can be seen entering the complex with a case and a backpack, before walking through the halls with a fully assembled sawed-off shotgun.

An investigation also found that Alexis acted alone and not, as was previously speculated, with the help of a second shooter or accomplice. The FBI also found "multiple indicators that Alexis held a delusional belief that he was being controlled or influenced by extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic waves," which would explain another phrase carved on his shotgun: "My ELF weapon!"

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

After a shoot-out with police, investigators found the shotgun and a handgun, believed to have been taken from one of his victims, near Alexis' body.

Keith Wagstaff is a staff writer at TheWeek.com covering politics and current events. He has previously written for such publications as TIME, Details, VICE, and the Village Voice.