One soldier was killed and another wounded as they stood outside an army recruitment office in Little Rock, Arkansas on Monday. An unidentified man drove up to the recruitment office and opened fire on the two enlisted soldiers who had just finished basic training.
U.S. Army
At around 10:15 a.m. at the army navy career center inside the Ashley Square Shopping Center, the two soldiers were standing outside when the suspect drove up, and opened fire. The soldier killed has been identified as 23-year old William Long; the other soldier has been identified as Quenton Ezeagwula.
Little Rock authorities are unclear as to the motive behind the shooting. They don’t know if the Army Recruitment office was targeted or whether it was a random, violent act. The suspect led authorities on a brief chase towards downtown Little Rock before being apprehended.
The FBI has opened an investigation into the shooting and will determine later based upon their findings whether there is any federal jurisdiction to prosecute. As of noon today the Little Rock authorities had not questioned the lone suspect.
Police say the suspect, Abdulhakim Margahid Muhammad, also known as Carlos Bledsoe, is believed to have been specifically targeting military personnel. Authorities say Muhammad apparently acted alone in the shootings. He is being charged with one count of Capital Murder and 15 counts of terroristic threatening. Police searched Muhammad’s apartment off Mara Lynn Drive Monday afternoon, seizing evidence related to the shooting.
According to Lt. Col. Thomas F. Artis; William Long and Quenton Ezeagwula were not recruiters. They were part of a recruitment program called “Hometown Recruiting Assistance”; Long and Ezeagwula were just recently out of basic training and had not been deployed.
The “Hometown Recruiting Assistance” program is where Army recruiters use soldiers to tell their stories when they are back home; or when they are in their hometown area.
After the shooting at the Little Rock Army recruitment office, the suspect was apprehended with an assault rifle in his possession, as well as two suspicious black bags that the bomb squad found to be of no consequence.
Army Recruitment Shooting Video
June 1st, 2009 at 9:19 pm
And yet this is barely on the news, while the abortion doctor’s shooting is all over the news. You have to love the MSM.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:37 pm
My heart goes out to the families of these Soldiers. My son is schedules to complete Basic/AIT in July and has volunteered for HRAP this breaks my heart that someone would do something like this.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:13 pm
This is so sad and upseting at the same time because Beth is right, all this talk about this doctor, God bless his soul but what about this Soldier that never even got a chance to serve his country. I pray that his family makes it through this trying time. God bless.
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:32 pm
i wish they would release more information because i just graduated basic traing with man named william long and i would realy like to know if this is him i am sceduled to go to korea with him nxt tuesday we went thre basic traing down at ft. benning and long loved being in the army pleas post more info as soon as possible
June 4th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
My condolences to the family. This is so sad.