Norfolk, Va. - The civilian gunman accused of killing a sailor aboard the destroyer Mahan on Monday night before being fatally shot is Jeffrey Tyrone Savage, the Navy announced on Thursday.
The Navy says Savage, 35, drove his 2002 Freightliner through Gate 5 just after 11 p.m. He then went to Pier 1 and left the truck and tried to get onto the USS Mahan.
He was stopped by security there and that's when a struggle started. They say Savage disarmed a petty officer of the watch and Savage then used the weapon to kill Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Mark Mayo, 24. Savage was then shot and killed by other security forces on the scene.
Officials say Savage had a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential. This ID alone does not authorize base access. They say it must be used along with other documents to gain entry.
They say Savage did not have any reason to be on Naval Station Norfolk.
NewsChannel 3 spoke to Savage's mother who is apologizing to the sailor's mother about what happened. She tells NewsChannel 3 that Savage was a good father and son, but something was going on with him. She would not go into detail about exactly what that something was.
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In 2005, Savage was convicted of manslaughter in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
Before that, he served time in Maryland for dealing crack.
The Navy says he worked for Majette's Trucking.
Labarbara Majette says he didn't technically work for her; instead he drove a truck she leased out to Rail Port Trucking on South Military Highway in Chesapeake.
"I don't know anything. They let us know that he had the credentials, he had the experience. And you know he was a driver,” says Majette.
NewsChannel 3 went to Rail Port where he drove trucks to see what his former co-workers had to say about the 35-year-old from Portsmouth.
No one there wanted to talk including a man who appeared to be managing the business.
It's unclear how long Savage had worked at Rail Port.
Labarbara Majette, who owned the truck he drove didn't know anything about Savage's work status with the company.
His former employer did not want to talk to NewsChannel 3 about if they knew of Savage's violent past.
It’s one that included two different stints in jail, including being locked up for manslaughter as recently as five years ago.
