PENSACOLA, Fla. — The handgun used by a Saudi aviation student to kill three American sailors and injure eight other people at a Pensacola naval base was legally purchased in July from a Florida dealer, federal authorities confirmed Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for the FBI said the 9mm Glock pistol was legally purchased by the shooter, Mohammed Alshamrani.

The 21-year-old Saudi aviation student was killed after opening fire at the Pensacola Naval Air Station.

“The investigation into the #PensacolaShooter has revealed that a Federal Firearms Licensed dealer in Florida sold him a 9mm Glock pistol on 7/20/19,” said FBI spokeswoman Amanda Warford Videll in a statement.

From left, Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham, Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson and Airman Apprentice Cameron Walters, center in Navy uniform, died in the attack on the Navy base in Pensacola, Fla. Photos provided by the U.S. Navy and the Walters family

“The preliminary investigation into the firearm purchase has not revealed any information to suggest that the sale was unlawful,” she added.

The FBI said Alshamrani qualified for an exception to laws prohibiting foreign nationals from having a gun because he had a valid Florida hunting license. Authorities said he may have also qualified under other exceptions specified by federal law.

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At a Sunday news conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a review of federal laws that allow foreign nationals to possess guns on U.S. soil.

“That’s a federal loophole he took advantage of,” the governor said.

“I’m a big supporter of the Second Amendment, but the Second Amendment applies so that we the American people can keep and bear arms. This does not apply to Saudi Arabians,” DeSantis said.

“I always thought that foreign nationals, except for certain law enforcement, just were not allowed to purchase firearms. So, I think they should definitely look at that,” he said.

On Monday, the FBI said it has found no signs of any link between a cyberattack on computer systems of Pensacola and last week’s attack at the naval air station.

Officials in the city of Pensacola became aware of the cyberattack early Saturday, hours after Friday’s shooting at the naval station. Much of the city’s computer system remained offline Monday morning, and federal authorities were alerted to the cyberattack as a precaution.

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The FBI tweeted in a brief statement that its initial investigation has not identified any connection between the cyberattack and the shooting. “Our preliminary investigation continues,” the FBI statement said without elaboration.

Earlier Monday, Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson asked for patience in a community still grieving over the shooting at the Navy installation, a central part of the local economy and public life.

“We are a little bit hampered through this,” the mayor said.

Investigators are trying to establish whether Alshamrani acted alone or was part of a larger plot.

Ransomware cyberattacks on government systems have been on the rise in recent years, with some crippling services for long periods of times.

In May, a cyberattack hobbled Baltimore’s computer network and cost the city more than $18 million to repair. City officials refused to pay demands for $76,000 in bitcoin.

During the summer, two Florida cities — Riviera Beach and Lake City — paid hackers more than $1 million combined after being targeted.

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