Despite the Saudi royal family's promise to President Trump, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has denied accountability for the attack on the Naval Air Station Pensacola and forced victims into years of legal battle, according to a Levin Papantonio attorney representing individuals and families of 8 injured police officers.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Levin Papantonio law firm announces that on June 3, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit will hear oral argument on the appeal of the lawsuit victims and their families filed against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after a Royal Saudi Air Force ("RSAF") officer went on a shooting rampage at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, on December 6, 2019 (Case 24-11310).
The argument will take place in the Gerald B. Tjoflat Courtroom (13th Floor) of the United States Courthouse located at 300 North Hogan Street, Jacksonville, Florida.
Levin Papantonio attorney Chris Paulos, who heads up the firm's counter-terrorism division, represents eight law enforcement officers (and their families) injured in the NAS terrorist attack—all of whom are residents of Escambia County or Santa Rosa County. They include a 60 year-old veteran of the United States Navy and Department of Defense police officer who was assigned to NAS Pensacola and shot by Mohammed Al-Shamrani, as well as seven Escambia County Sheriff's Deputies who were shot and/or injured in the attack.
Terrorist Attack on U.S. Soil
The date of the shooting coincided two years to the day with President Trump's announcement on December 6, 2017, declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel. It also marked the first time since the attacks of September 11, 2001, that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula had been involved in a terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
The shooter, Al-Shamrani, a Second Lieutenant in the RSAF, murdered three U.S. servicemembers and severely injured four U.S. Navy servicemembers, a Navy civil servant, seven Escambia County Sheriff's deputies, and a member of the Department of Defense Police Force.
Al-Shamrani was at NAS Pensacola for flight training under a Security Cooperation Education & Training Program administered under U.S. foreign military sales to Saudi Arabia. In the wake of the shootings, the U.S. Department of Justice declared the incident to be an act of international terrorism.
Suit Was Dismissed on Grounds of Immunity
All the victims, and in the cases of those killed, their families, filed a civil complaint against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on February 22, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in Pensacola, pleading 19 causes of action, all of which seek to hold the Kingdom civilly liable for the acts of its military officer.
In extended motions practice, the Kingdom sought to dismiss the suit on grounds of immunity under the U.S. Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act ("FSIA"). On March 30, 2024, the U.S. District Court granted the Kingdom's motion, and the victims and their families timely filed an appeal with the Eleventh Circuit.
Attorney Jeffrey E. McFadden, of Jeffrey E. McFadden, LLC, is working with Paulos on the appeal. McFadden, who represents the estate and parents of a young naval officer killed in the terrorist shooting rampage at NAS Pensacola, as well as four other servicemembers and a civilian injured in the attack, commented:
"No sovereign should be permitted to hide behind immunity after accepting an avowed member of Al Qaeda into its military, elevating him to an officer's rank, and selecting him to come to the U.S. for a 'special mission' that, in fact, was an act of terrorism. The Eleventh Circuit now has the opportunity to ensure that the victims get their day in court and that justice in the United States is not for sale, not to allies and not to enemies."
Basis for the Appeal
In addition to raising important questions about a foreign sovereign's civil liability for an act of international terrorism on U.S. soil, the appeal raises a number of questions regarding the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act—including the meaning of certain provisions of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) of 2016. This law was specifically passed by Congress to allow terrorism victims to sue Saudi Arabia for its suspected role in the 9/11 terror attacks. In practice, JASTA permits civil claims against a foreign state or official for injuries, death, or damages from an act of international terrorism.
Paulos commented:
"This case isn't just about a horrific act of terror—it's about whether foreign governments can foster violent extremism without facing any legal consequence. Immediately after the attack, President Trump and the Saudi Royal Family publicly assured the victims that they would be made whole, but instead the Kingdom has ignored its promises, denied all accountability, and forced the victims to endure years of litigation."
Media Contact
Levin Papantonio Director of Content Sara G. Stephens, Levin Papantonio, 1 2817446560, [email protected], https://levinlaw.com
Jeffrey E. McFadden, Law Offices of Jeffrey E. McFadden, LLC, 1 443-272-4737, [email protected]
SOURCE Levin Papantonio
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