Investigation Into Chattanooga Attack Focuses On Gunman

05:51

July 17, 2015

A police officer ducks under tape near a memorial in front of an Armed Forces Career Center on Thursday, July 16, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. (John Bazemore/AP)

This April 2015 booking photo released by the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office shows a man identified as Mohammad Youssduf Adbulazeer after being detained for a driving offense. A U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity identified the gunman in shootings at two Chattanooga military facilities as Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, who shares the same age and address as the man in the photo. (Hamilton County Sheriffs Office via AP) — This April 2015 booking photo released by the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office shows a man identified as Mohammad Youssduf Adbulazeer after being detained for a driving offense. (Hamilton County Sheriffs Office via AP)

The gunman who killed four Marines in Chattanooga, Tennessee yesterday targeted a Naval recruiting center and another military site. But so far authorities do not know why 24-year-old Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez chose those places for his attack.

Federal authorities say they are looking into the possibility that it was an act of terrorism, but that's not known at this point.

Here & Now's Meghna Chakrabarti spoke with defense policy analyst Seth Jones about the shooting, and whether or not authorities called the attack terrorism too quickly.

"It's unclear right now. It's not clear in particular what they've found as part of the investigation," Jones said. "But I will say based on some of the postings of this individual, he has said some things regarding jihad and the need to conduct violent jihad that are certainly concerning and certainly make this a possibility for an act of terrorism."

Guest

Seth Jones, director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at Rand. He tweets @sethgjones.

This segment aired on July 17, 2015.