Aaron Alexis has been idenitifed by the FBI as the Washington Navy Yard shooter. PHOTO: FBI Poster
(WTVR) — Records show that Aaron Alexis, who the FBI identified as a Washington Navy Yard shooter,was previously charged on two separate accounts, one in Washington state and one in Texas, involving discharge of a firearm.
Alexis is also a decorated soldier, according to Department of Defense record (scroll down for more info.)
Records show that on May 6, 2004 Alexis was arrested after shooting three rounds into the tires of a vehicle that belonged to construction workers. Police recovered casings from the scene. They attempted to make contact with Alexis, but no one would answer the door. Alexis was arrested the following month and charged with Malicious Mischief and discharge of a firearm.
Alexis would later confess to the crime of discharging his weapon for the purpose of shooting out the tires on the car the construction workers owned. Alexis told police, according to the report, that he perceived the victim had disrespected him and he then had a “black out” fueled by anger.
He said he didn’t remember pulling the trigger of his firearm until about one-hour later. Alexis also the officer, according to the report, that he was present during the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001 and how those events had disturbed him. [READ: Aaron Alexis police report, Seattle]
According to a Fort Worth police report, in 2010, police were dispatched to the Oak Hills apartments on the evening of Sept 4, 2010, on a report that someone had fired a shot through the floor and into the ceiling of a woman’s apartment. [READ: Aaron Alexis Public Information Report]
The woman told police she had been sitting in a chair when she heard a loud pop and saw dust.
“She then saw that there was a hole in her floor just a couple of feet from where she was sitting while shredding papers and a hole in the ceiling,” the report states. “She told me that she believed someone had shot a bullet through her apartment.”
The woman told police that her downstairs neighbor, who was Alexis, he not not come upstairs after the shooting.
The report states that the woman told police Alexis had called police on her several times in the past for “being loud” but that police never heard anything and therefore, no action was taken.
“She said that several days ago Aaron confronted her in the parking lot about making too much noise,” the report states.
The woman told police that she was “terrified” of Alexis and felt the shooting was done intentionally.
The report states police attempted to contact Alexis at his apartment, and knocked three separate times, but received no response.
Police were concerned that someone could be hurt in that apartment, and they called the Fire Department to the scene to attempt to force entry into Alexis’ apartment. When firefighters arrived on the scene, however, Alexis came outside voluntarily and told officers he had been cleaning his gun when it went off.
“He said that he was trying to clean his gun while cooking and that his hands were slippery. He told me that he began to take the gun apart when his hands slipped and pulled the trigger, discharging a round into the ceiling,” the report states.
“When asked why he didn’t call police or go check on the resident above him, Aaron said that he didn’t think it went all the way through since he couldn’t see any light through the hole,” the report states.
In regards to the noise, Alexis told police he thought people would dismiss the noise as a firecracker.
Police question why Alexis didn’t open the door when they attempted to make contact. And he said “that he thought it was just his upstairs neighbor and he didn't want to talk to her because she is always making noise.”
The report stated that the officer looked inside, and checked out the gun--which was taken apart at this time. A gun cleaning kit was located next to the gun and the gun was covered in oil.
The report states that Alexis was arrested and booked on suspicion of discharging a firearm in a municipality, a Class A misdemeanor.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Alexis was released from jail the next day and was never formally charged in the case.
“After reviewing the facts presented by the police department, it was determined that the elements constituting recklessness under Texas law were not present and a case was not filed,” said Melody McDonald, a spokeswoman with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office told the paper.
The paper also reports that at the end of that month the property managers began eviction efforts against Alexis, who moved in December 2010.
Alexis was last known to live in Fort Worth, Texas, but was born in Queens, New York, according to the FBI. He enlisted in the Navy in May 2007 and left as an aviation electrician's mate 3rd class in January 2011, according to Navy records.
According to Department of Defense records, Alexis was given a National Defense Service Medal and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
The FBI has released the pictures of Alexis, and is asking people with any information about him to call it at 800-CALL-FBI.
The FBI is looking for information about his recent movements and "his contacts and his associates," said Valerie Parlave, assistant director in charge of the Washington FBI Field Office, at a news conference in Washington.
