The lockdown at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, in D.C., was lifted Friday afternoon, about two and a half hours after a “potential armed individual” was reported.
The man authorities were looking for has been detained, the base said, and will be transferred to the custody of the D.C. police.
Base Commander Col. Michael Zuhlsdorf said at about 4 p.m. that authorities are still trying to work out how the suspect, who hasn’t been identified yet, got onto the base at about 12:15 p.m. He said the suspect probably jumped two fences near a housing section, and likely hurt himself on one of the jumps.
After getting a tip, they caught the man at about 2:45 p.m. coming out of a dumpster, Zuhlsdorf said, adding that the gun was found in a different part of the base earlier.
Maj. Nathan Aiken said the suspect, who didn’t appear to have any connection to the base, didn’t put up any resistance when he was caught.
While they’re “still ascertaining” how the man got onto the installation, Zuhlsdorf said he was “infinitely confident in the security of this base,” pointing to the cooperation among law enforcement agencies to find the man on the 905-acre campus where about 17,000 people work.
The D.C. police told WTOP that officers were responding to a report of shots on Halley Terrace, in Southeast, across I-295 from the base, just after noon when the suspect ran onto the base. They did not, however, have any reports of a shooting victim.
A spokesman for the base told WTOP earlier in the afternoon that gunshots had been heard on the base, but that it was not an active shooter situation.
The base said on Facebook they were looking for one man who was last seen on the south side of the base, near the Blanchard Barracks.
The base said in the post, “If you encounter the individual and have a safe route, RUN. If you do not have a safe route to run, HIDE. Barricade your door, turn off the lights and your cell phone ringer, and remain silent. If you are hiding, prepare to FIGHT.”
It’s not known yet how the man got onto the base.
The base in Southeast 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.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo reported at about 2:30 p.m. that some cars were being allowed on the base, while others were being turned away.
Bob Immler, in the WTOP Traffic Center, said traffic on 295 was not affected.
WTOP’s Megan Cloherty, Mike Murillo and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
