Breaking: Soldier murdered in Arkansas; Update: Shooter a Muslim convert, opponent of military; Update: “Studied” in Yemen?

posted at 2:17 pm on June 1, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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A gunman with an assault rifle targeted a military recruitment office today in Little Rock, Arkansas, killing one of the recruiters and wounded another.  Police arrested a suspect, but details are still sketchy:

One Army recruiter was killed Monday and a second was wounded in a shooting at a recruiting office, and a suspect was arrested, police said.

Police Lt. Terry Hastings said the recruiter was shot when a man in a black SUV opened fire on the office in west Little Rock at about 10:30 a.m.

The vehicle was stopped on Interstate 630 a short time later and a suspect was taken into custody. Hastings said the suspect pulled over and surrendered without incident.

Police said they found an assault rifle in the vehicle.

We’ll update the story as developments hit the wires.  The AP reported that police found “packages” in the SUV the suspect used to get away from the murder scene.  A bomb-disposal unit got called to the scene, but no report yet on what they found.

This could have any of several different motives: political, personal, insanity.  I’d caution against reading too much into it until we hear more from the police.  We’ll be keeping an eye on it.

Update: More here from KATV:

Authorities say the incident occurred around 10:00 a.m. at a U.S. Army Navy Career Center inside the Ashley Square Shopping Center at 9112 North Rodney Parham Road. According to Lt. Terry Hastings with the Little Rock Police Department, two enlisted soldiers standing outside the office were hit when the unidentified suspect drove up and began shooting.

Both of the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital, where one of the victims died a short time later, according to police.

Update II: This Ain’t Hell says the victim was a recruit just back from basic training, and not the recruiter.  I’ve adjusted the title accordingly.

Update III: The murder victim has been identified as William Long, and the other victim as Quenton Ezeagwula.  Keep them and their families in your prayers tonight.

Update IV: Police have identified the shooter as Carlos Bledsoe, but that’s not what he’s calling himself these days:

A Muslim convert who said he was opposed to the U.S. military shot two soldiers outside an Arkansas recruiting station, killing one of the soldiers, police said Monday.

“This individual appears to have been upset with the military, the Army in particular, and that’s why he did what he did,” Little Rock Police Lt. Terry Hastings said in a phone interview.

“He has converted to Muslim here in the past few years,” Hastings said. “To be honest we’re not completely clear on what he was upset about. He had never been in the military.”

Hastings identified the man in custody as Carlos Bledsoe, 24, of Little Rock, who was going by the name of Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad. He did not have further details. The names of the soldiers were not released, nor was the condition of the wounded soldier.

Gateway Pundit wonders whether this is “sudden jihadi syndrome”.  Breitbart reports that Bledsoe aka Muhammad will get charged with one count of murder — and 15 counts of terrorism.  I’m sure we will have more as this develops.

Update V: Robert Spencer hears that the shooter studied Islam abroad — in Yemen.  He’s trying to get more details on it now.

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