All-Clear Given After Shot Reported at Walter Reed Hospital; Lockdown Ends (Updated)

Updated at 2 p.m.

Authorities have given the all-clear after they completed a search of Tower 1 and have found nothing to confirm a report that a gunshot was fired at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda.

The Bethesda base was in lockdown for nearly three hours.

Montgomery County Police tweeted just before 2 p.m.: “Police operations are complete, there is no evidence of a firearm discharge. Normal operations expected to resume soon.”

Navy News Service said DOD Security Force, NIH Police Force and County EMS and medics have responded and are searching the area. Officers have found no evidence of gunshots and no injuries have been reported.

Federal and local police officers are concentrating their search in the area of Tower 1 at the 200-acre campus, reports NBCWashington. There have been no injuries reported, no ambulances pulling into the area.

All patient care at the Walter Reed facility has been suspended for the day, police said. About 1:30 p.m. police finished their search of Walter Reed building 1, and allowed one lane of northbound and two lanes of southbound Route 355 to open for traffic

The Navy’s official Twitter feed said Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health and Montgomery County Police officers are all on the scene. The military tweeted just after noon Monday: ”Security searching buildings. No confirmation of incident.”

“Walter Reed/Bethesda personnel sheltering in place. Cannot confirm any incidents, injuries or causalities,” the Navy tweeted.

A Reddit user said just before 1 p.m.: “The environment is very calm, we’ve trained for this. Everyone is locked in their offices or co-workers offices in cases of cubicles, etc. It is completely silent except for helicopters overhead. There are a few people sending work-related emails and getting a few things done. I am locked in my office by myself and just took a run to the men’s room and didn’t see or hear anyone. I figure if this goes on into the afternoon I will begin to hear others take bathroom breaks as well.”

Montgomery County Police said on Twitter that it had officers at the scene. The department said it is working with federal partners to respond on the campus.

The shot was heard in the 8900 block of Rockville Pike, reports WUSA.

A veteran using the Twitter handle @BMarr86 posted: “ I’m in a locked bathroom. 3 wheelchair combat vets, my brother and 2 attack dogs.”

On Reddit, the user monkeyuprising posted said they were on the base and shared this timeline of the morning’s events:

10:40 AM Sirens heard around base

10:50 AM Loudspeaker warnings, emails, phone calls via emergency broadcast system. “The Base has sounded the alarm for an “ Active Shooter” somewhere on the Base, location unknown at this time.”

10:55 AM Helicopters heard overhead. Sheltering in place.

11:01 AM Email: “All, Please continue to “Shelter in Place” until we get the all clear. The Hospital and remainder of the base are in the same situation as us.”

11:12 AM No new news, still hear a helicopter overhead.

11:20 AM Email: “This is not a Drill Please continue to shelter in place. Do not leave your office or workspace until it is determined safe to do so.”

11:29 AM Email: “Code White (Active Shooter) location in building 1, nothing found at this time, police on scene. Continue to secure in place.”

11:45 Email: “This is not a drill. Continue to Shelter in place until told otherwise.“

12:43 PM Email: “Please continue to “Shelter in Place”. There is no new information to pass at this time.”

1:48 PM Email: Update from university (not base-wide) safety: Although it is expected that we will be out of this situation soon, it is now allowed for people to move around “INSIDE” the University Buildings ONLY. That is to go to the bathroom, or to move to other main campus buildings only by using the glass breezeways or other underground transit methods. Do not exit the buildings or use the courtyard until the police have finished their work.

2:25 PM Loadspeaker/email: All clear -- return to normal operations.

Patch will update this breaking news story as details are released.

»Screenshot from NBC Washington