A Debt of Honor in Pensacola
It has been six years since a visiting Saudi Arabian military trainee turned a classroom at Naval Air Station Pensacola into a scene of carnage: murdering three young sailors and wounding eight others before being killed in a shootout with police. For the survivors and the families of the fallen, the intervening years have not brought peace, but an exhausting slog for justice.
The facts of the case are as disturbing as they are clear: the shooter, a Saudi Arabian Air Force cadet named Mohammed Saeed Al-Shamrani, was sent by the Kingdom to train on American soil despite what investigators later discovered were his active ties to Al-Qaeda. The victims now rightly hold the Saudi government responsible for a catastrophic failure in vetting that allowed a radicalized individual to infiltrate the heart of our military infrastructure.
Yet, instead of reacting to this tragedy with an admission of responsibility, the Kingdom has responded to grieving American families with a legal war of attrition. Since the filing of a federal lawsuit in 2021, the survivors have been forced to endure a cold, grueling legal battle as the Kingdom aggressively deploys a legion of high-priced attorneys to mount a defense built on an arcane legal shield, “sovereign immunity,” under international law.
But that shield has begun to crack. Last November, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals breathed new life into the survivors’ hopes, reviving the claim that the Kingdom was grossly negligent in failing to vet the officer before sending him to the U.S. for training. This ruling is more than a legal milestone. It represents a moral inflection point that forces a long-overdue look at what is at stake for two nations that are increasingly reliant on one another.
Stepping back from the courtroom maneuvers, it is hard not to conclude that this entire tragedy should have played out differently. It simply does not have to be this way. Today, Saudi Arabia is a close American friend and vital ally—a partnership that has flourished economically, militarily, and culturally under the Trump administration.
As important, Saudi Arabia has become a regional leader for stability and an advocate for peace in the Middle East. It has sought to expand the historic promise of the Abraham Accords by strengthening ties with Israel, while also transforming itself by opening its society to the world, empowering its women, and embracing moderation and modern industry as it looks to the future.
Yet, as the Kingdom builds “cities of the future” and invites global investment, it will remain anchored to the past—at least in the minds of many Americans—by this unresolved trauma involving the Florida victims. For a country that wants to be a leader in the 21st-century community of nations, it is a glaring contradiction to continue to finance a legal battle against American families who suffered so much at the hands of an individual who should have never stepped on American soil.
By choosing to settle with the Pensacola survivors now, the Kingdom would be taking a bold step in replacing anger and suspicion with a foundation of genuine trust. Such a gesture would be more than a mere legal settlement; it would be an act of public compassion between two friends.
There is reason for hope. President Trump himself noted how appalled the Saudis were in the aftermath of the shootings. “The king and the Saudi people are greatly angered by the barbaric actions of the shooter, and he said that this person in no way, shape, or form represents the feelings of the Saudi people, who love the American people,” Trump said. The president also promised that “the King will be involved in taking care of the families and loved ones.”
It is because we are at this critical inflection point that our organization is embarking on a dedicated campaign for justice. We are entering the breach to ensure these families are no longer left to fight alone. We will mobilize a sustained public advocacy effort to make these survivors whole. To solidify a friendship with the American people that goes beyond trade deals and military alliances, the Kingdom must first settle its debt of honor in Pensacola. These families have waited long enough; they shouldn’t have to wait any longer.
It’s Time for Saudi Arabia to Make Whole Pensacola Terror Victims
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Time for Saudi Arabia to Set Things Right with Pensacola Terror Victims
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“We are committed to this campaign of justice.”
NLPC
The Time is Now.
On the morning of December 6, 2019, a deadly shooting occurred at Naval Air Station Pensacola, a major U.S. Navy base in Florida. The perpetrator was Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a 21-year-old Saudi Arabian national who was in the United States as part of a military training program for Saudi aviation students. Alshamrani, armed with a handgun, opened fire inside a classroom building where the training was taking place, killing three U.S. Navy sailors (Ensign Joshua K. Watson, Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham, and Airman Apprentice Cameron S. Walters) and wounding eight others before being fatally shot by responding law enforcement officers. The attack was later investigated and classified by the U.S. government as an act of terrorism, with evidence suggesting the shooter had been radicalized and had ties to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), though he acted alone in the shooting itself.
This incident shocked the nation, as it involved a foreign ally’s trainee turning against American service members on U.S. soil. It raised difficult questions about security protocols for international military training programs, particularly with Saudi Arabia, a key strategic partner in the Middle East.
In this poignant C-SPAN clip, President Trump delivers a measured and unifying first response to the heartbreaking shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola—a terrible tragedy that claimed the lives of three brave American sailors and injured others.
Trump shares details of his immediate phone call with Saudi King Salman, who personally conveyed deep condolences to the victims’ families, expressed outrage at the shooter’s barbaric actions, and firmly stated that this individual in no way represents the Saudi people or their enduring friendship with America.
King Salman’s words underscore the shared grief and the commitment of both nations to stand together against such senseless violence. Supporters of the vital U.S.-Saudi alliance see this exchange as a powerful example of how close partners respond in crisis—with swift communication, mutual condemnation of extremism, and a resolve to prevent future incidents. The Saudi government cooperated fully with U.S. investigations, and steps were taken to review and strengthen training program safeguards, reflecting a shared dedication to justice, accountability, and healing.
What the world witnessed in that moment were two allies grieving together, rejecting terror in all forms, and working toward restitution for the affected families while preserving the strategic relationship that benefits regional stability, counterterrorism efforts, and American interests.
A reminder that even in the face of horror, friendship and cooperation can prevail.
From Flight Training to Terror: The Chilling Story of the Pensacola Navy Base Shooting
On the morning of December 6, 2019, Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida became the scene of a horrific terrorist attack. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force training at the base, entered Building 633 armed with a Glock pistol and opened fire in a premeditated act of violence linked to al-Qaeda.
The rampage began just before roll call. Alshamrani shot and killed Ensign Joshua Caleb Watson at the quarterdeck, then Airman Apprentice Cameron Walters. He moved through the International Military Training Office, wounding Airman George Johnson, Airman Ryan Blackwell, and Ensign Brianna Thomas—firing multiple rounds into each as they hid behind desks in terror. Jessica Pickett, cowering under a supervisor’s desk, was shot nine times after the gunman discovered her hiding place.
Unarmed Marine instructors Ryan Masel and Scott Mullins rushed in to confront the shooter, using a fire extinguisher as a makeshift weapon before being forced to retreat under fire. They later heroically helped evacuate victims, dodging bullets to pull the wounded to safety. As Alshamrani continued his assault—venting rage by shooting holes in a photo of President Trump—Escambia County deputies arrived and ended the nearly hour-long nightmare by fatally shooting him.
Three young Navy personnel lost their lives, and eight others were wounded. Families were left with gaping holes in their hearts, communities gathered in the rain to honor the fallen, and thousands of service members lined the base in a solemn “manning the rails” tribute.
President Trump spoke of conversations with the King of Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, describing them as devastated and committed to supporting the victims’ families. Yet years later, no compensation or assistance from the Kingdom has materialized, leaving survivors and grieving loved ones to seek justice through ongoing legal battles.
This video recounts the chilling details of that tragic day—a stark reminder of heroism in the face of terror, and the enduring pain of those who lost so much.