DC Navy Yard Lockdown After Shots, Reporters And Police Search For Gunmen

The DC Navy Yard lockdown occurred on Thursday morning after shots were reported. The lockdown began around 8 a.m. and ended around 10 a.m. Police are still searching for a shooter, as a shooter wasn’t found at the scene. An “all clear” was later issued at the Navy Yard, the scene of a 2013 mass shooting, according to ABC 15.

As previously reported in Inquisitr, the Department of Homeland Security stated that the 2013 mass shooting was not an act of terrorism. Twelve people were killed in the attack, including the gunman, and another three were injured. The shooter, Aaron Alexis, was the lone gunman. A Navy contractor, Alexis had previously served in the U.S. Navy and was believed to have suffered from a mental illness. He was later shot to death by police in the incident.

The current DC Navy Yard lockdown occurred after gun shots were reported early Thursday morning. Located in Southwest Washington, D.C., the Navy Yard is the oldest Navy shore establishment.

The facility was placed in what is called a shelter-in-place order. This directive, developed by the Department of Homeland Security, means that the employees on site were directed to find shelter, preferably within in an interior room.

Once the all-clear was given, the U.S. Navy confirmed that there were no signs of a shooting. After the report came in around 7:34 a.m. police, emergency responders, and the FBI swarmed the Navy Yard. Police blocked all nearby streets until it was determined what was happening. U.S. Park Police, U.S. Marshals, the Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms, and the Capital Police also responded, according to the USA Today.

The quick response to the DC Navy Yard lockdown was a result of various exercises conducted by the agencies involved. Additional training was conducted after the 2013 shooting to ensure better coordination among the agencies involved.

Based on a previous after action report in 2013, communications were cited as a problem in coordinating efforts. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said that things went smoothly this time.

“It appears that all the things that we tried to correct from the last incident went very, very well, very smooth and (resulted in) very well-coordinated response here.”

In a tweet released by the U.S. Navy, they stated that there was an ongoing investigation by NCIS, the criminal investigation division of the Navy.

#BREAKING: #USNavy confirms no sign of shooting @NavalDistWash#NavyYard. All personnel ok. Follow-on NCIS investigation ongoing.

— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) July 2, 2015

Lt. Commander Scott Williams, chief engineer of the Navy’s guided missile system program, said that additional precautions had been instituted including random bag checks and newly installed alarm systems. No one is claiming responsibility for the alleged shooting that led to the DC Navy lockdown.

[Photo Credit: NPR]