AN American serviceman who allegedly shot dead two female colleagues in Bahrain has been moved to a specialist army hospital in southern Germany, navy officials confirmed yesterday. Clarence Jackson has been unconscious and in critical condition since apparently shooting himself in the head, immediately after the killings.

Genesia Mattril Gresham, 19, and Anamarie Sannicolas Camacho, 20, were shot dead in their barracks at the Naval Support Activity base, Juffair on Monday.

The navy has not identified Jackson, 20, but a spokesman said he was transferred from the BDF Hospital to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre at around 1am yesterday.

The facility, in the Kaiserslautern district, provides world-class facilities for serving US servicemen, retirees and their families.

Jackson was found unconscious with a head wound and doctors earlier said he was not expected to survive or regain consciousness, since the bullet passed through his brain.

A navy spokesman said he was flown in a military plane equipped with an onboard Intensive Care Unit.

It is understood the aircraft left from Bahrain International Airport.

The spokesman revealed there had been no change in Jackson's condition and he remained unconscious.

"That is where all the really serious patients go, it is probably one of the best medical facilities in the world for this kind of injury," said the spokesman.

"There is no plan to move him from there."

Meanwhile, Ms Gresham's mother Anita paid a poignant tribute to her 19-year-old daughter yesterday.

She confirmed that Ms Gresham had a casual relationship with Jackson and that he turned nasty after she tried to cool it.

The mother dismissed as untrue reports that the victims were lesbian lovers.

"The family and friends of my daughter are devastated to hear of her death as a result of violence at the US naval base in Bahrain," said the mother.

"My daughter, who was affectionately known to her friends and family as Snowflake, was a wonderful person.

"We are grieving and awaiting more details from the US Navy to try and make sense of this tragedy.

"We ask that our privacy be respected during this time."

Ms Gresham, from Lithonia, Georgia, had been in the military for 11 months and shared a room with Ms Camacho, 20, in the barracks.

The women, who each held the rank of master-at-arms, were reportedly shot almost immediately after one of them answered a knock at the door, at around 5am.

The barracks are reportedly less than 50 metres from the Freedom Suq, a popular shopping and recreation area within the base.

Navy officials are still refusing to answer questions about the exact circumstances of what happened, saying it would be inappropriate to comment until the investigation is complete.

The shooting led to hundreds of personnel being evacuated from the base as armed teams searched the building.

Jackson was part of the base security team and as such was authorised to carry a loaded gun.

Sources said he had only just been reprieved from a restraining order after attacking one of the women, said to be his ex-girlfriend, weeks earlier.

Ms Camacho, from Panama City, Florida, joined the US Navy in June last year.

Her mother Jovy Paulino earlier described her daughter as a "happy person", who only joined the military so she could fulfil her dream of obtaining a degree.

geoff@gdn.com.bh