The sun sets behind a minaret in the centre of Riyadh, the Saudi capital. A gunman opened fire on two American employees of a U.S. defence contractor at a Riyadh gas station on Oct. 14, 2014, killing one and wounding the other, security and diplomatic officials said.ALI JAREKJI/Reuters
A gunman on Tuesday opened fire on two American employees of a U.S. defence contractor, killing one and wounding the other at a gas station in Saudi Arabia's capital, security and diplomatic officials said.
Saudi security forces tracked down the gunman and exchanged fire with him, before wounding and arresting him, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. It did not provide further details about the shooter. The wounded American had "moderate" injuries, according to the report.
A person with knowledge of the shooting, who was not authorized to discuss the incident publicly, told Associated Press that the shooter was believed to be an American-born Saudi who worked at the same company as the two Americans. The shooter was recently fired from his job for alleged drug use and believed that the victim he shot dead had turned him in.
The Americans were employees of Vinnell Arabia, a U.S. defence contractor supporting Saudi National Guard military programs in Riyadh, and were shot about a kilometre from its facility in the city, said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki. The site, on the eastern side of the capital, is also near the Saudi National Guard headquarters.
Vinnell Arabia declined to comment when contacted by AP. A spokesman for parent company Northrop Grumman could not be immediately reached. Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour Al-Turki confirmed the Saudi news agency report, but declined to provide further details when contacted by AP.
U.S. officials were in close contact with the Saudi government to gather details about the shooting and a possible motive, Psaki said. She said U.S. authorities were also evaluating their security posture, and will take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of all U.S. Mission personnel.
The attack was likely to send chills through the Western expatriate workforce in the kingdom, which has been on alert for possible terrorism. In September, Saudi police said they had arrested 88 people suspected of being part of an al-Qaeda cell that was planning attacks inside and outside the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia and four other Arab countries are taking part in U.S.-led air strikes against the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda fighters in Iraq and Syria. Militants have vowed revenge.
Attacks by al-Qaeda militants from 2003 to 2007 were aimed at destabilizing and toppling the Western-allied monarchy. Among the most stunning attacks were deadly bombings of residential compounds in Riyadh where foreigners lived in 2003.
Saudi officials responded at the time with a massive crackdown that saw many al-Qaeda operatives killed or arrested. Others fled to neighbouring Yemen, giving birth to one of the group's most active branches.