US base hosting president’s plane in lockdown over ‘active shooter’

Joint Base Andrews has been put on lockdown after an active shooter was reported at the housing complex of the site

An active shooter incident has been reported at Joint Base Andrews (JBA) near the US capital, with an armed individual spotted near housing units of the installation. Located in Maryland on the outskirts of Washington DC, the base is home to a fleet of US government aircraft, including the presidential Air Force One.

“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,” JBA said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties at the base. Shortly after announcing the lockdown, JBA urged the public to call 911 “if you see any people out moving.” The base’s law enforcement, as well as foot and mobile security patrols are continuing the search for the suspect, it added.

Later in the day, JBA further elaborated on the incident, clarifying that there was actually “no active shooter" as there had not been any shots fired on the base. Still, the security of the base continued its search for the “armed individual” spotted earlier on.

Early in February, JBA premises were penetrated by an intruder, who gained “unauthorized access” to the base’s housing area. The intruder was confronted by a resident of the base, who discharged a firearm. The suspect was promptly apprehended by security forces afterwards, with no injuries or damage reported.