Authorities detain six Saudi nationals after NAS Pensacola tragedy, some filmed attack

Authorities detained six Saudi nationals for questioning after Friday's tragic shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida.

The New York Times reported:

Six other Saudi nationals were detained for questioning near the scene of the shooting, including three who were seen filming the entire incident, according to a person briefed on the initial stages of the investigation.

It was not known whether the six Saudis detained were students in the classroom building, and there was no immediate indication that those filming the incident were connected to the gunman, the person said.

A Saudi national, who was in pilot training alongside future U.S. Navy aviators, killed three people and wounded eight others before being shot and killed by police. Authorities are investigating the incident as a potential act of terrorism.

Some lawmakers have already condemned the incident as terrorism, and have called for stricter controls to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

According to the AFP, the killer, a second lieutenant in the Saudi Royal Air Force, condemned America as a "nation of evil" in a manifesto posted online just hours before opening fire inside a classroom at the military base.

"I'm against evil, and America as a whole has turned into a nation of evil," the manifesto reportedly read. "I'm not against you for just being American, I don't hate you because your freedoms, I hate you because every day you supporting, funding and committing crimes not only against Muslims but also humanity."

President Donald Trump said Friday that he had spoken with Saudi King Salman, who expressed his "sincere condolences."