Shooter in Naval Yard Rampage Worked for HP Subcontractor

The man named in the shooting spree at the U.S. Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., Sept. 16 that left at least 12 people dead worked for a subcontractor of Hewlett-Packard.

According to the tech giant, 34-year-old Aaron Alexis, who was killed by authorities during the rampage, was employed by a company call The Experts, a subcontractor for an HP Enterprise Services military technology contract for the Navy and Marines. HP is cooperating with the investigation, company officials said in a statement sent to media outlets.

“We are deeply saddened by today’s tragic events at the Washington Navy Yard,” the statement read. “Our thoughts and sympathies are with all those who have been affected. Aaron Alexis was an employee of a company called ‘The Experts,’ a subcontractor to an HP Enterprise Services contract to refresh equipment used on the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) network. HP is cooperating fully with law enforcement as requested.”

According to reports, investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the shooting. An NBC News report indicated that under a new support contract, HP hardware that had been housed at the Navy Yard was moved to Denver in August, and that it was unclear whether Alexis’ job also was sent to Colorado.

In the same report, NBC News said that Alexis—a former Navy petty officer and Naval Reservist—had a history of shooting guns during times of anger, including an incident in 2004 in Seattle and another in 2010 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Police initially sought a second suspect described as a middle-aged black male wearing a military uniform and carrying a rifle, but later indicated they no longer were looking for that person. Earlier on Sept. 16, authorities cleared another man who initially was considered a person of interest.