A U.S. national has reportedly been shot dead and another injured in the city of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
A brief statement from Saudi Arabian Press Agency stated that the police later shot, wounded and arrested an assailant shortly afterwards.
The statement alleged that the attack resulted in the killing of one person and the wounding of another, who turned out to be of American citizenship.
The shooting occurred at a gas station in the eastern district of Riyadh, where there was reportedly another U.S. national who was in a separate car and witnessed the attack.
According to Interior Ministry spokesman, Major General Mansour Turki, no motive has since been found for the shooting – and the detained assailant was a Saudi man who had U.S citizenship as he was born in the United States.
The identities of the victims have not yet been released, but according to The Guardian , a U.S. official has divulged that both victims were working with a private security contractor, Vinnell Arabia – a U.S. defense contractor supporting Saudi National Guard military programs in Riyadh
The Associated Press has since reported that a person with knowledge of the shooting, who was not authorized to discuss the incident publicly, informed them that the shooter was believed to have worked at the same company as the two U.S. nationals. It has been alleged that the shooter was recently fired from his job for supposed drug use and believed that the victim he shot dead had turned him in.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki has stated that U.S. officials are in close contact with the Saudi government to gather details about the shooting and a possible motive. She further added that the U.S. authorities are also evaluating their security posture, and will take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of all U.S. Mission personnel.
