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Today in History: Gunman slays 12, wounds three at Navy HQ

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 10:33 AM UTC · How we work

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On September 16 2013, 34-year-old Aaron Alexis opened fire at Building 197, the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters in the Washington Navy Yard. He killed twelve people and wounded three before police fatally shot him at 9:25 a.m., ending a rampage that became Washington’s deadliest mass shooting and the second deadliest on a U.S. military base.

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Story summary

On September 16 2013, 34-year-old Aaron Alexis opened fire at Building 197, the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters in the Washington Navy Yard. He killed twelve people and wounded three before police fatally shot him at 9:25 a.m., ending a rampage that became Washington’s deadliest mass shooting and the second deadliest on a U.S. military base.