<<UPDATED BELOW>> During CNN's live coverage of Monday's shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, anchor Carol Costello asked when the last time was that a gunman wreaked "havoc at a U.S. military facility." In 2009, a jihadist killed 13 in a mass-shooting at Fort Hood in Texas.
"I used to work in Washington, live in Washington. This seems so unusual to me that a gunman could create this kind of havoc at a U.S. military facility," Costello stated. "Have you ever heard of it happening before, Brian?" she asked correspondent Brian Todd, reporting live from the vicinity of the shooting. [Video below the break. Audio here.]
Costello added that "this is so unusual, because this is such a heavily-secured military facility. I've worked in Washington for many years, I've never heard of such a thing happening." She may have been referring to shootings at military bases near Washington, D.C., though her question simply referred to a "U.S. military facility."
Costello did reference the Fort Hood shooting on Tuesday morning's coverage of the Navy Yard shooting. She was talking about cost-cutting and security at Washington, D.C. military installations:
"It just seems strange to me, in light of what happened at Fort Hood, right? After 9/11, this was like the most secure city in the world, let's say. I mean, there was barred access to many government buildings, including military installations. So why cut costs there, at the most important point, because you want to keep your military personnel safe?"
Below is a transcript of the exchange, which aired on CNN Newsroom on September 16 at 10:01 a.m. EDT:
CAROL COSTELLO: I used to work in Washington, live in Washington. This seems so unusual to me that a gunman could create this kind of havoc at a U.S. military facility.
BRIAN TODD: Yes.
COSTELLO: Have you ever heard of it happening before, Brian?
TODD: I'm sorry, Carol. I missed that question. Could you repeat it please?
COSTELLO: I was just saying that this is so unusual, because this is such a heavily-secured military facility. I've worked in Washington for many years, I've never heard of such a thing happening.
TODD: Well, we haven't either in this area, Carol. This is the first time we've seen something like this, at least in many, many years. Now you remember the Fort Hood shooting in 2009, where that was a member of the service who was convicted eventually of doing that shooting.
