Metro Slow To Evacuate Station During Aug. 3 Stabbing At Pentagon Transit Center

ARLINGTON, VA — An investigation into Metro's actions during the Aug. 3 stabbing incident at the Pentagon Transit Center determined that Metrorail failed to establish an on-scene command center and did not communicate effectively with its personnel at the Pentagon Station during the emergency.

These delays led to a 13-minute gap between the report of an active shooter situation and the evacuation of the Pentagon Station platform. In addition, Metro lost track of station personnel during the emergency.

Around 10:37 a.m., on Aug. 3, Austin William Lanz, 27, of Georgia, was shot by law enforcement officers and died at the scene after he fatally stabbed Pentagon Face Protection Officer George Gonzales at the Pentagon Transit Center.

Military officials quickly put the Pentagon on lockdown and multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene after receiving reports of the sound of gunfire coming from the area of the transit center. Although the incident was later revealed to involve a stabbing, it was initially reported to be an active shooter situation.

While a report released Tuesday by the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) did not recommend any corrective actions by Metro, it did say Metrorail needed to ensure that it could provide timely communication with its personnel during an emergency. Also, an emergency checklist needed to be established to avoid confusion and prevent delays.

13-Minute Gap Between Emergency Notification And Platform Evacuation

At 10:49 a.m., a Rail Operations Information Center (ROIC) information specialist notified the Rail Operations Control Center (ROCC) that an active shooter situation was taking place at the Pentagon Station.

An order then went out to all train operators approaching the Pentagon Station on tracks 1 and 2 to remain stopped on the platform as the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD ) was contacted to confirm whether the station needed to be closed.

ROCC received confirmation from MTPD. In addition, Metrorail's executive management team instructed all trains to bypass the Pentagon Station until further notice. The report noted these instructions came from outside the incident command system process.

Related: Police Officer Fatally Stabbed At Pentagon Transit Facility

At 10:52 a.m., the operator of Train 302, which was stopped at the Pentagon City Station platform, was told to bypass the Pentagon Station. An emergency radio call also went out to alert Metro personnel to avoid the Pentagon Station until further notice.

At 10:54 a.m., the operator of Train 302 was instructed to key on any passengers remaining on the Pentagon Station platform in order to evacuate them. This procedure requires a train operator to open a train door manually with a key to allow passengers on or off. However, Train 302 had already bypassed the station as previously instructed.

At 10:58 a.m., the operator of Train 715 used a key to let customers who were still on the platform into the first car of the train.

The Pentagon Station Manager was notified at 11:02 a.m. that the platform had been cleared — 13 minutes had passed since the initial report of an active shooter.

At the request of MTPD and PFPA, Metro suspended all train movement at the Pentagon Station. The tracks in both directions at the station were de-energized at 11:25 a.m.

At 11:32 a.m., there was some confusion about the location of Metro personnel at the closed station. It was unclear whether some were in the tunnel. The Metro Operations Center reported that personnel were sheltering in place and could remain there until the Arlington County Fire Department arrived.

Eventually, power was restored, but trains continued to bypass the Pentagon Station for several days to allow law enforcement officials to conduct their investigation.