FBI investigating Indian-origin man killed in fiery crash at Travis Air Force Base

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in a March 23 press briefing identified the man who drove into Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California March 21, and died in the fiery crash of his vehicle, as Hafiz Kazi of Sausalito, California.

According to the account provided by the FBI, a vehicle entered the base without authorization and a fire occurred in the vehicle. The driver died at the scene. The investigation is in the early stages, said the FBI, which also revealed during the press briefing that the man killed was originally from India, news reports said.

Travis Air Force Base first-responders and local emergency officials responded to the incident, which took place at the main gate entrance. Travis Air Force Base’s Explosives Ordinance Disposal Team, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation also responded to the scene. The FBI is currently leading the joint investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the incident, a press release from the agency said.

“We know that the community is concerned but we can assure everyone that we are unaware of any specific threat to Travis Air Force Base and the Fairfield community,” FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan, is quoted saying in a press release. “We continue to seek the answer to the question of why this man acted in the manner he did. We appreciate the public’s concern and patience as we continue to follow all investigative leads in order to provide a factual basis for the events that occurred,” Ragan added.

Within Kazi’s vehicle, investigators found five propane tanks, a gym bag with personal effects, three phones, three plastic one-gallon gas cans, and several lighters.

The FBI requested anyone with information about Kazi to provide a tip online at https://tips.fbi.gov or call the FBI Sacramento Field Office at 916-746-7000.

“We don’t have any evidence of a religious affiliation” behind the encounter,Ragan is quoted saying by Reuters. “We don’t have any nexus to terrorism at this point,” Kagan added. According to a law enforcement source who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, investigators believe the driver ignited the fire himself.

Kagan also said at the briefing that Kazi’s van approached the gate of the air base, but then veered away and crashed, mercurynews.com reported. The FBI also said that it was having trouble locating Kazi’s family, but that he had lived in the U.S. since 1993, and had worked as a cab driver in the past. The Los Angeles Times reported online that FBI had managed to contact one of Kazi’s relatives in India  to inform them of his death.

The Indian-origin man appeared to have no links to terrorism and left no manifesto explaining his actions, nor did the video on his cell phone give any clue, Foxnews.com said reporting on the FBI briefing.

“The investigation that we’re doing right now is trying to piece together his life, trying to piece together what led up to this event, and attempt to determine why he was there and why he had those items in his vehicle,” Ragan is quoted saying in the Foxnews.com report. “We don’t have any evidence of any religious affiliation or anything at this point. … As of right now, we know of no other associates,” Ragan added.