FBI still looking for a motive, apparently the terrorist cleansing his soul by committing jihad isn’t sufficient.
The Marine Corps has confirmed that it has prepared Purple Heart award packages for the Marines killed last week in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, however, must first formally declare ties between the shooter, Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, and a foreign terrorist organization before the packets can be submitted.
“Determination of eligibility will have to wait until all the facts are gathered and the FBI investigation is complete,” Marine Corps public affairs officer Maj. Clark Carpenter told Marine Corps Times.
The Marine Corps is also looking into the criteria and requirements for awarding the Purple Heart to Sgt. DeMonte Cheeley, a recruiter who was injured in the attack, said Capt. Alejandro Aguilera, a spokesman for 6th Marine Corps District.
Cheeley was shot in the leg after Abdulazeez drove up to his recruiting office and fired dozens of rounds through the storefront window. The shooter later drove to the nearby Navy Operational Support Center where he continued his attack, killing four Marines and a sailor.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain told the Washington Times on Wednesday that he will seek the medal for the service members, but the FBI has only thus far referred to the attacker as a “homegrown violent extremist.”
McCain also said that new legislation may be required to make sure the victims are eligible, according to the Washington Times.