By IANS,
London : An officer was shot dead and another critically injured after a guard opened fire on British’s flagship 1 billion pound nuclear submarine that carries Tomahawk cruise missiles, a media report said.
Daily Telegraph reported that seaman Ryan Donovan, who has been held, is understood to have opened fire with an assault rifle after an argument on HMS Astute that was berthed in Southampton.
Sources said 22-year-old Donovan had collected the rifle from the submarine’s weapons store and was about to take up his sentry position when the altercation took place. He fired several rounds before he was nabbed.
Lt. Cdr. Ian Molyneux, the vessel’s weapons engineering officer, died in the shooting, while Lt. Cdr. Chris Hodge was said to be in a critical condition.
The shooting took place when the city’s mayor was onboard and a group of schoolchildren was standing on the dock to board the vessel.
HMS Astute was on a five-day public relations visit to Southampton.
“It appears this rating got into an argument then just went crazy and began shooting people.
“He has not served in Afghanistan so it doesn’t appear to be related to combat stress like post-traumatic stress disorder,” a source was quoted as saying.
HMS Astute is the Royal Navy’s newest submarine and the most sophisticated hunter-killer vessel in the world.