Several killed, injured at Washington Navy Yard shooting

Mon, Sep 16 11:10 AM EDT image 1 of 17 By Ian Simpson and Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Several people were killed and others injured when at least one gunman opened fire at the U.S. Navy Yard in Washington on Monday, authorities said. A Washington police spokesman said five people had been shot at the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters, including a District of Columbia police officer and one other law enforcement officer. The Navy did not elaborate. NBC News, citing a senior naval officer at the Navy Yard, said at least 12 people had been shot, with four killed and eight wounded. This could not be independently confirmed. A Navy official told Reuters a suspected shooter has been contained, adding that several people died and several others were injured. The total number of victims was unclear, he said on condition of anonymity. Another Navy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said more than one shooter may have been involved. The Washington Post reported that there were several shooters. The Navy said in a statement the shooting took place at the heavily guarded headquarters, where about 3,000 people work. Dozens of police and emergency vehicles surrounded the complex in southeast Washington, which is about a mile south of the U.S. Capitol, local media reported. Helicopters circled the headquarters with some touching down on the building's roof, according to a live feed by Washington's WJLA TV. A Washington police spokesman said the first reports of shots were received at 8:36 a.m. EDT (1236 GMT). A White House official said President Barack Obama had been briefed on the shooting. The shooting briefly shut down flights at Reagan National Airport. The Navy Yard dates to the 18th century and is the oldest Navy installation. It houses a museum, the residence of the chief of naval operations and is responsible for weapons development, among other functions. (Additional reporting by the Washington bureau; Editing by Vicki Allen and Doina Chiacu) =========================== 4 dead, both shooters down in Washington Navy Yard shooting – US Navy Published time: September 16, 2013 12:49 Edited time: September 16, 2013 15:45 Get short URL Photo from twitter.com user @timjhogan Photo from twitter.com user @timjhogan Share on tumblr Two suspected gunmen responsible for the shootings at the Washington Navy Yard in Southeast D.C. are "down", US Navy officials report. Four people were killed and eight others, including two police officers, wounded during an attack early on Monday. ABC Channel 7 reports different data on the number of casualties, citing two police sources, claiming that up to 8 people were killed. Meanwhile, News 4 reports that two sources within the law enforcement agencies say that both “downed” gunmen were killed by the police. The spokeswoman for the MedStar Washington Hospital Center said that it has received three gunshot victims from the Navy Yard. A male police officer and two civilian women are in critical conditions, but have “very good” chances for survival. The victims said that shots from semi-automatic guns were fired at them, the she added. After going on a rampage, the the gunmen have reportedly barricaded themselves in one of the Navy Yard's facilities where they were cornered by the police. Police have closed South Capitol and M streets due to the incident. The shooting happened inside the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters (NAVSEA) building, the Navy said in a statement. It’s the largest of the Navy's five system commands. It engineers, builds, buys and maintains ships, submarines and combat systems that meet the Fleet's current and future operational requirements. Program management analyst, Rick Mason, who is a civilian with the US Navy, told AP that a gunman was shooting from a fourth floor overlook in the hallway outside his office. He said the gunman was aiming down at people in the building's cafeteria on the first floor. Mason said he could hear the shots but could not see the shooter. ================================= D.C. Police Set Up Staging Area for WNY Families (11:40 a.m. EST) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story Number: NNS130916-04Release Date: 9/16/2013 8:53:00 AM A A A Email this story to a friend Print this story From Naval District Washington WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Washington D.C. Metro Police Deptartment advises family members of Washington Navy Yard employees may meet their loved ones at Nationals Stadium. CORRECTION: Lot B, South Capitol & N St SE Family members looking for information about their loved ones can contact the Warfighter and Family Support Center at 202-433-6151 or 202-433-9713. Several people were injured and there are reports of fatalities in a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard Sept. 16. An active shooter was reported inside the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters building (Bldg. 197) on the Washington Navy Yard at 8:20 a.m. (Eastern Time). Emergency personnel remain on scene and a "shelter in place" order has been issued for Navy Yard personnel. A number of agencies are investigating the incident including the Naval Criminial Investigative Service, D.C. Metro Police, and the FBI which has lead. "I'm deeply shocked and saddened by the shooting this morning at the Navy Yard," said Secretary of the navy Ray Mabus. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. I have complete confidence in our first responders, and I continue to be completely focused on this very difficult situation." This release will be updated as new information is confirmed. The Naval Sea Systems Command's headquarters is the work place for about 3,000 people. The organization is comprised of command staff, headquarters directorates, affiliated Program Executive Offices (PEOs) and numerous field activities. Together, we engineer, build, buy and maintain ships, submarines and combat systems that meet the Fleet's current and future operational requirements. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is the largest of the Navy's five system commands. With a fiscal year budget of nearly $30 billion, NAVSEA accounts for one quarter of the Navy's entire budget. With a force of 60,000 civilian, military and contract support personnel, NAVSEA engineers, builds, buys and maintains the Navy's ships and submarines and their combat systems. =================== Authorities question vetting of Washington gunman who killed 12 Tue, Sep 17 11:12 AM EDT image 1 of 15 By Mark Hosenball and Ian Simpson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington authorities questioned on Tuesday how a U.S. military veteran with a history of violence and mental problems could have gotten clearance to enter a Navy base where he killed 12 people before police shot him dead. The suspect, Aaron Alexis, 34, a Navy contractor from Fort Worth, Texas, entered Washington Navy Yard on Monday morning and opened fire, spreading panic at the base just a mile and a half from the U.S. Capitol and three miles from the White House. Investigators are still trying to determine the shooter's motive. Alexis had been given clearance to enter the base on the Anacostia River, despite two gun-related brushes with the law and a discharge from the Navy Reserve in 2011 after a series of misconduct issues. A federal law enforcement source told Reuters Alexis had a history of mental problems but gave no details. CNN reported that Alexis had contacted two Veterans Administration hospitals recently and was believed to be seeking psychological help. "It really is hard to believe that someone with a record as checkered as this man could conceivably get, you know, clearance to get ... credentials to be able to get on the base," Washington Mayor Vincent Gray told CNN. He said automatic U.S. budget cuts known as sequestration could have led to skimping on vetting that would have barred Alexis from the heavily guarded base. sequestration a. Seizure of property. b. A writ authorizing seizure of property. "Obviously, 12 people have paid the ultimate price for whatever was done to have this man on base," Gray said. The incident prompted immediate calls for reviews of base security procedures. Congressman Michael Turner called for Defense Department officials to release information on an inspector general's audit of its system for controlling civilian workers' access to military bases. The Navy may have "implemented an unproven system in order to cut costs," Turner, an Ohio Republican, said in a letter dated Monday to Lynne Halbrooks, the Pentagon's acting inspector general. "Potentially numerous felons may have been able to gain unrestricted access to several military installations across the country," said Turner, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. WEAPONS BAN Military personnel are generally banned from carrying weapons on military installations in the United States but most people with proper credentials are not routinely checked for firearms. Eight people were hurt, including three who were shot. Police have identified seven of those killed, with identification of the others pending notification of relatives. The three gunshot victims, including a Washington police officer severely wounded in the legs, were doing well, Janis Orlowski, the chief medical officer at Washington Hospital Center, told NBC's "Today" program. Police shot Alexis in a gun battle after he entered the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters about 8:20 a.m. (1220 GMT) and started picking off victims in a cafeteria from a fourth-floor atrium, witnesses said. Alexis was armed with an AR-15 military-style assault rifle, a double-barreled shotgun and a handgun, a federal law enforcement source said. The shooting was the worst attack at a U.S. military installation since Army Major Nidal Hasan opened fire on unarmed soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009, killing 13 people and wounding 31. Alexis, a contract employee, had legitimate access to the Navy Yard and used a valid pass, the FBI said. Authorities have not addressed how he could have gotten weapons onto the base. Alexis, a one-time Texas resident who was known to worship at a Buddhist temple, served full time in the U.S. Navy Reserve from May 2007 to January 2011, becoming an aviation electrician. He was recently hired as a civilian information technology contractor to work on the Navy and Marine Corps intranet. He was given a security clearance classified as "secret," his company's chief executive told Reuters. Alexis was arrested on September 4, 2010, in Fort Worth, Texas, on a misdemeanor charge of discharging a firearm. The case was dropped when investigators determined he was cleaning his gun and it accidentally fired, Tarrant County prosecutors said. He was also arrested in Seattle in 2004 for shooting out a construction worker's car tires in an anger-fueled "blackout" triggered by perceived "disrespect," according to the Seattle Police Department. The base was closed to all but essential personnel on Tuesday as police continued their investigation. Military police were stationed at the four entrances, checking the identifications of the employees who were being allowed back in. Other personnel milled around outside, hoping to retrieve cars that remained locked inside the gates. "I still don't know when I can get my car," said a woman who identified herself only as Linda. She declined to give her last name because she was not supposed to return to work on Tuesday. She said she had had no Internet access on Monday due to security in her building and only found out about the shooting from her family. "My phone just blew up," Linda said. (Additional reporting by Alina Selyukh; Editing by Scott Malone and David Brunnstrom)