Trump, Saudi prince pledge cooperation after Florida base attack

Dec. 9 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump has spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman about the attack Friday at a naval base in Florida, which is being investigated by the FBI as a presumed terrorist attack.

The White House said the leaders pledged during the late Sunday call to work together to prevent such attacks in the future.

"The Crown Prince reiterated Saudi Arabia's commitment to working with the United States to prevent a horrific attack like the Pensacola shooting from ever happening again," the White House said in a statement. "The president thanked the Crown Prince for Saudi Arabia's assistance with the investigation and continued partnership."

Trump also thanked the Saudi prince for assisting with the U.S. investigation into the shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola, about 170 miles west of Tallahassee near Florida's border with Alabama.

Authorities have identified the shooter as Second Lt. Mohammed Alshamrani, a U.S. Navy trainee from Saudi Arabia who they say killed three sailors before he was shot dead by deputies.

A motive is still unclear, but FBI agents are looking into a complaint filed by Alshamrani earlier this year in which he said he was disrespected and embarrassed by an instructor at the Pensacola base, The New York Times reported. Alshamrani also hosted a dinner party the night before the attack at which he viewed videos of mass shootings, the Times report said.