Two Die in Naval Facility Shooting

Military investigators on Tuesday were trying to determine why an employee at a naval research facility in Norco shot and killed a co-worker Monday afternoon and then killed himself, military officials said.

Edward Eric Benes, 45, of Corona and Nadim Mummie Addus, 35, of Pomona were pronounced dead at the 1,100-employee Naval Surface Warfare Center after the 4:45 p.m. shooting.

Who shot whom, and why, remained “part of an investigation process that is developing in a deliberate manner,” said Cmdr. Harrison Heublein, base executive officer.

The base was locked down for 90 minutes Monday night as the Naval Criminal Investigative Service combed the shooting scene and interviewed employees. Grief counselors were summoned Tuesday morning, Heublein said.

“What was behind this is conjecture as we gather more evidence,” Heublein said.

“There was no supervisor-subordinate relationship in place between these two, but in a facility with more than 1,000 employees, their paths could have crossed previously at any time.”

No other employees were injured, Heublein said.

Benes, who earned an engineer’s license in Illinois, and Addus were assigned to quality assurance, said NCIS spokesman Ed Buice.

A woman identifying herself as Benes’ wife, contacted by telephone, said, “There’s no comment here. I need to go.”

A Rialto woman who said she was Addus’ sister said, “All I know is that my brother has been shot. I’m worried. My son is sitting here, thinking his uncle [Addus] will come visit him this weekend.”

Naval Surface Warfare Center spokeswoman Roberta Spieler said only security guards were allowed to be armed in the center.

The facility opened in 1951.

Civilian employees perform “independent assessment and data analysis of Navy weapons and weapon systems,” Spieler said.