HAITHAM-MOHAMMED

VICTIM  OF  ACTIVE  SHOOTER

Mohammed Sameh Haitham was the victim of an active shooter at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, on December 6, 2019 and has been widely described as “A Hero” for his actions in connection with the incident.  Authorities reported the shooter was a 21-year old Second Lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force from Saudi Arabia who was a student naval flight officer of the Naval Aviation Schools Command and had been training in the United States since 2017.  Without warning, he suddenly opened fire with a handgun inside a classroom which injured eight individuals and killed three U.S. Navy men, including Haitham.  It has been reported that as the shots rang out, Haitham headed toward the shooter and sustained gunshot wounds from which he died.  For his action of heading toward the man in an attempt to stop the shooter when shooting began, Haitham was described by his commanding officer as a hero for his “exceptional heroism and bravery in the face of evil.”  According to authorities, if not for Haitham’s actions of running toward danger, he undoubtedly saved the lives of others.

Haitham was born on December 16, 1999 and was a 2018 graduate of Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Florida.  There he was an all-star athlete as basketball player, and star long distance runner and high jumper on the track team.  Following graduation his family thought he would attend college and play professionally until he announced that he would follow in his mother’s footsteps by joining the Navy.  Haitham completed recruit training at Great Lakes in September 2019.  He was then assigned to flight crew training at Naval Aviation Schools Command, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, and was scheduled to complete this training in December 2019.  Unfortunately, he was killed ten days before his 20^th birthday.

His mother said Haitham made a surprise visit home at Thanksgiving 2019.  She felt he had grown and was more like a man than the boy she had previously known.  His family has said that Haitham was a peacemaker who died the way he lived, trying to protect others.

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)