The man who died after the vehicle he drove onto Travis Air Force Base in Northern California caught fire has been identified, the FBI said Friday.
Hafiz Kazi, 51, had lived in the United States since 1993 and was a legal resident, FBI Special Agent Sean Ragan said at a news conference. He was originally from India.
Authorities have not announced a motive but the security breach does not appear at this point to be terrorism-related, Ragan said.
“We don’t have any nexus to terrorism at this point,” he said.
However, agents are searching his phones and social media for any possible connections. Kazi apparently lived in the San Francisco area and had worked as a cab driver, Ragan said.
Ragan said a Kia minivan drove through the main gate at the base about 7 p.m. Wednesday. It looked like there were flames inside the vehicle, he said.
The vehicle veered, crashed and started burning, Ragan said. By the time first responders broke through the locked doors, Kazi was dead, Ragan said.
No shots were fired, he said. An autopsy is pending.
Investigators discovered five propane tanks, three phones, gas cans, several lighters and a gym bag inside the car, Ragan said.
“The investigation is ongoing and there are no current known threats to the base or community,” the base said. ” The main gate has reopened and all other facilities are operating as normal.”
Travis Air Force Base is home to 10,000 military personnel and is a major hub for logistics and military cargo in the Pacific. It’s the largest military aerial port in the United States and includes facilities for airlift and aerial refueling.
The base is located in Solano County and is midway between Sacramento and San Francisco.
“The safety and welfare of our airmen, their families and our local community is our top priority,” said Col. John Klein, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander. “I am extremely proud of how our first responders quickly addressed the situation to keep Travis and the surrounding area out of harm’s way.”
