NORFOLK, Va. (WTVR) -- Commanders call the 24-year-old shot and killed during a shooting at Naval Station Norfolk Monday a hero.
WTKR reports Norfolk Naval Base commander Robert Clark said that Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Mark A. Mayo sacrificed himself to save others.
“It was incredibly extraordinary,” Clark said.
The shooting happened around 11:20 p.m. Monday at Pier 1 onboard the USS Mahan.
Officials said Mayo was protecting a sailor who first confronted a civilian intruder, a truck driver that tried to board the destroyer. The suspect disarmed the watch stander and then turned the watch stander’s gun on Mayo.
“He jumped into the way between the gunman and the petty officer of the watch. She fell to the ground. He covered her and he basically gave his life for hers,” Clark said.
Mayo and the intruder were killed in the shooting.
Agents said they know who the man is, but are still uncertain as to why he boarded the destroyer and wrestled a gun away from the sailor.
“We have been able to rule out any additional threat to the Navy pertaining to this civilian. We have ruled out any link to terrorism. And preliminary facts do not indicate this was a pre-planned attack,” officials said.
