Police Believe Pentagon Gunman Wasn't Part of Terrorist Plot

Pentagon police chief Richard S. Keevill said Friday morning that John Patrick Bedell, 36, appears to have had anti-government "issues," The Washington Post reports. Keevill said no link between Bedell and any terror group in the United States or overseas has been found.

The shooting occurred at 6:40 p.m., near the end of rush hour, near the Pentagon Metrorail station and transit center. Bedell, who was said to be dressed in a business suit, carried two 9-millimeter semi-automatic weapons. "He walked very directly to the officers and engaged," Keevill said. The officers, who returned fire, were superficially wounded, one in the shoulder and one in the thigh. Both were treated and released at a Washington hospital.

The police said Bedell was an American citizen and that military service records were being checked to see if he had any ties to the armed forces. According to the New York Times, messages posted on the Web under the username JPatrickBedell share some biographical details with the shooter and point to a distrust of the military and the government at large.