Congressman to introduce bill on 2 Ark. soldiers
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A U.S. congressman says he'll file legislation Thursday to make two soldiers shot outside a military recruiting station in Arkansas eligible for the Purple Heart.
Republican Rep. Tim Griffin of Arkansas tells The Associated Press that Pvt. William Andrew Long and Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula (ee-ZEEG'-wuh-luh) were shot because they were U.S. soldiers. He says the incident ought to be treated as if it happened in a combat zone, which would make them eligible for the military award.
Long died in the 2009 shooting. Ezeagwula still has shrapnel in his body.
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The man who confessed to shooting them, Abdulhakim Muhammad, deemed himself a jihadist and professed ties to al-Qaida. He pleaded guilty this week and has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.