The Chattanooga mayor's original tweet about a "horrific situation" is proving true: The AP reports that four Marines were killed today when a gunman opened fire on two separate military facilities in the city. The gunman also was killed, and two others were injured, including a police officer. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam confirmed that "lives have been lost from some faithful people who are serving our country," though he didn't give details. US Attorney Bill Killian called it an "act of domestic terrorism," reports the Tennessean, though he later backtracked and said it's too early in the investigation to use that label, notes the New York Times.
The gunman first opened fire on a military recruiting center and then at a Navy and Marine reserve facility about 7 miles away. The victims were hit while inside the latter location, and a witness tells CNN that she saw a man firing a high-powered rifle from his car. In the first shooting, an Army sergeant who was there estimated that the gunman fired 30 to 50 shots before leaving the scene. (Update: The gunman has been identified.)