A shooting at the gate of a Jordanian air base Nov. 4 that killed three U.S. soldier reportedly might have been an act of terrorism – with the father of one victim calling the slaughter an "assassination."
The three soldiers, all with the Special Forces, were in Jordan on a training mission and were returning to the air base when a Jordanian soldier opened fire, the New York Times reported.
According to the Times, the Jordanian soldier was wounded in what was described as an exchange of fire and was taken into custody.
Jordanian officials initially told news outlets the vehicle with the soldiers failed to stop at the gate as ordered, triggering the gunfire, CBS News reported.
But American officials dismissed that scenario Wednesday.
"Investigators are considering all potential motives and reasons for why American service members came under fire, and they have not yet ruled out terrorism as a potential motive," the American Embassy in Jordan said in a statement, the Times reported.
"Contrary to press reports, there has been absolutely no credible evidence to suggest that U.S. personnel acted contrary to orders or established procedures when accessing the base."
An FBI team from Washington was dispatched to Jordan, the Times reported.
The three soldiers were identified as: Staff Sgts. James F. Moriarty, 27; Matthew C. Lewellen, 27; and Kevin J. McEnroe, 30, all from the Fifth Special Forces Group (Airborne) based at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Moriarty's father, Houston lawyer James Moriarty, told the Times he spoke with a fourth soldier who survived the shooting – and that soldier said it was the Jordanian who opened fire without provocation.
"It's clear to me that was an assassination," Moriarty told the Times. "The shooter was wearing body armor. He's carrying an AK-47. He makes the choice not to drop the rolling metal barrier, which was the final barrier before you get on the base."
"This guy's obvious intent was to kill those four Americans," he added, "and he did everything he possibly could to do that. That doesn't fly with any other explanation."
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