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Joint Base Andrews Goes on Lockdown After Reports of Armed Individual


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Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, Maryland, went on lockdown earlier Thursday after reports of an armed individual.

According to reports, the armed individual was spotted near the base’s housing area.

The suspect was described as a white male wearing a purple sweatshirt, black shorts, and carrying an AR-15 style rifle with no orange tip.

Joint Base Andrews said earlier Thursday in a Facebook post:

An armed individual has been reported near base housing. Stay away from base housing. Initiate Lockdown Procedures. Individual is a white male, wearing a purple sweatshirt, black shorts, carrying a ar-15 style rifle with no orange tip.

Lockdown! An Armed individual has been reported near base housing. Stay away from base housing. Initiate Lockdown Procedures!

Joint Base Andrews provided this update on Facebook Thursday evening:

ALL CLEAR

As of 6 p.m., the base lockdown was lifted. People are authorized to move freely on base and can expect an increased presence of Security Forces personnel.

As always, if you see something suspicious, please report it to the Base Defense Operations Center at 301-981-7222.

We take every call of suspicious activity seriously, and appreciate everyone’s cooperation and patience as we ensured there was no threat on the base. Thank you to the swift security forces response to ensure our safety today and everyday.

WTOP News reported:

Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, Maryland, has lifted a lockdown after an armed person was reported near base housing Thursday afternoon.

Joint Base Andrews said in a Facebook post that no suspect as described in the report was found after a full sweep of the base. Security forces will continue to go door-to-door at base housing, the base said, and there will be an increased security presence out of an abundance of caution.

According to the base, a man in a purple sweatshirt and black shorts was reported carrying an AR-15 style rifle near base housing, prompting the lockdown early Thursday afternoon. Joint Base Andrews initially described an “active shooter,” but later in a news release said that this was “not an active shooter as no shots have been fired.”

No one was reported injured.

The base said lockdown procedures are being lifted as follows:

  • At 5 p.m., individuals with children in the Imagine Andrews School, CDC, Youth Center, and patients were released to pick up their children.
  • At 5:30 p.m., individuals on the East Side of base were released.
  • At 6 p.m., lockdown lifted and all personnel released to depart base.

The base, a few miles outside D.C., is home to the fleet of blue and white presidential aircraft, including Air Force One and the “doomsday” 747 aircraft that can serve as the nation’s airborne nuclear command and control centers if needed.

In February, an intruder breached the housing area at Joint Base Andrews.

Intruder Breaches Top-Security at Military Base Home to Air Force One



 

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