A military base in Washington, DC, was locked down for several hours Friday amid an armed intruder — and troops were warned to “prepare to fight” — before the suspect was apprehended, authorities said.
Around 12:30 p.m., a frantic post on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling‘s Facebook page read, “LOCKDOWN LOCKDOWN LOCKDOWN” and warned that an armed person had been spotted on the south side of the base complex.
“If you encounter the individual and have a safe route, RUN. If you do not have a safe route to run, HIDE,” the base said. “Barricade your door, turn off the lights and your cell phone ringer, and remain silent. If you are hiding, prepare to FIGHT.”
The base then posted an update to Facebook shortly after 3 p.m. saying the lockdown had been lifted — after one person had been detained and was awaiting transfer to police custody. There were no reports of any injuries or shots being fired on the base.
Military police officers check cars leaving Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling after the US military base was put on lockdown after a report of a suspicious armed person on site.Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERSWashington’s Metropolitan Police told Fox 5 that the suspect who triggered the lockdown had fled the scene of a shooting on Halley Place SE, a road which leads to the base. Officers who responded to the scene found evidence of a shooting, but no victims or suspects, according to NBC Washington.
The base initially reported one “potential armed individual,” describing him as a man carrying a Gucci bag. An update told personnel to be on the lookout for “two armed individuals” — one with dreadlocks and wearing ripped blue jeans, the other wearing green pants and a white top.
“He may be injured,” the base warned of the second man. “Do not go looking for these individuals.”
Security personnel stand at an entrance to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. Patrick Semansky/AP
The base was placed on lockdown after a report that an armed person was spotted on the base. Patrick Semansky/APA second update clarified that just one person was being sought. He was described as having “dreads that are mid-back in length … wearing blue or green pants and a white tank top (possibly with a bag).”
Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling is located across the Anacostia River from downtown DC, near the border with Prince George’s County, Md. It houses Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard units, along with the Washington field office of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the headquarters of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Friday’s lockdown followed last week’s murder of a Brooklyn-born Pentagon police officer at a transit building outside the Defense Department headquarters. The suspect in the killing was shot by law enforcement and died at the scene.
With Post Wires
