An in-depth investigation was unable to determine why a sailor in Hawaii shot three workers at the Pearl Harbor shipyard in December 2019 before fatally turning the gun on himself, U.S. Navy officials at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam said Tuesday.
The Navy said “emotional and social factors” may have contributed to Machinist’s Mate Fireman Gabriel A. Romero, 22, state of mental health at the time of the shooting. The investigation revealed that the San Antonio, Texas native acted alone and no one could have reasonably predicted his actions, officials said.
He was assigned to the USS Columbia, a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine, when he opened fire at the shipyard workers, killing two and injuring one.
“This tragic event was heartbreaking to our community and our valued shipyard workforce,” said Adm. John C. Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. “We must work hard to restore confidence in the Navy’s ability to protect our most valuable assets — our people.”
The sailor’s personal and professional background were assessed by the investigators along with the command climate aboard the submarine; workplace safety, force protection and active shooter training, among other issues. Health care officials placed “undue emphasis” on patient confidentiality — particularly in cases where sailors may have access to weapons — resulting in a communications barrier with Navy leadership, officials said.
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