Muslim gunman Arid Uka worked at German airport where he fatally shot U.S. airmen, says source

By: Caroline Black
Topics: Daily Blotter

Kosovo Muslim gunman Arid Uka worked at German airport where he fatally shot U.S. airmen,

21-year-old Arid Uka, the suspect in the March 2, 2011 shooting at the Frankfurt Airport that killed two American airmen.

/ CBS

(CBS/AP) FRANKFURT, Germany - Arid Uka, the Kosovo Albanian gunman accused of killing two U.S. airmen and critically injuring a third, was an employee at the busy Frankfurt airport where he opened fire Wednesday, reports The Daily Mail.

German officials are investigating whether the fatal shooting could be considered an act of Islamic terrorism. The 21-year-old suspect, who authorities say has confessed to targeting American military members, claims he acted alone and does not belong to a terrorist network or terrorist cell.

Uka, a devout Muslim nicknamed Abu Reyann, reportedly yelled "God is great" in Arabic as he boarded and opened fire on a bus loaded with U.S. airmen Wednesday on their way from their base in England to serve in Afghanistan, said Marine Col. Dave Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman.

Authorities say he gunned down his first victim as the soldier stood in front of the vehicle at Terminal 2 before turning his weapon on the driver as he sat behind the wheel, reports The Daily Mail.

Another serviceman was gunned down as he returned a luggage trolley and a fourth man was also injured.

Uka is believed to have fired nine times before his gun jammed and he was taken down by police. He was immediately taken into custody and is expected Thursday in federal court in Karlsruhe.

Though the U.S. Embassy in Kosovo's capital of Pristina referred to "the act of a single individual," Lapan at the Pentagon said it was still not clear whether others could have been involved in planning the attack.

"One of the key focuses if the investigation will be to determine whether others were involved in the incident besides the shooter," Lapan said.

German investigators said Uka was radicalized over the past few weeks, but they believe he acted alone.

In Washington, President Obama said he was "saddened and outraged" by the attack. "We will spare no effort in learning how this outrageous act took place and in working with German authorities to ensure that all of the perpetrators are brought to justice."

"But this is a stark reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices that our men and women in uniform are making all around the world to keep us safe, and the dangers that they face all around the globe, " the President said.

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