At 3:20 pm Tuesday afternoon, Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bethesda gave the all clear.
1520, UPDATE: The all clear has been given. No active shooter was found. Personnel may now move freely about the base.
— NSABethesda (@nsabethesda) November 27, 2018
The US Navy's twitter account subsequently confirmed it was "an ad hoc drill by tenant command."
Earlier Tuesday, NSA Bethesda tweeted that there had been reports of shots fired in the basement of Building 19 of the hospital complex. The entirety of the medical campus was placed on lockdown, with no one allowed in or out until the facility had been cleared.
Building 19 is the "America" building, the building closest to the north entrance to the campus. It is part of the hospital complex and contains both reception and fitness services, according to NSA.
ABC 7 reported that multiple 911 callers said they heard shots while sheltering in place.
Active Shooter at my job. Walter Reed Hospital. pic.twitter.com/ee3fXlqO6K
— A'Jada 🧡 (@nattyby__nature) November 27, 2018
Maryland Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger tweeted from inside a conference room in the medical center about the situation. A subsequent update on his account noted he was sheltering in a back room and that the mood was calm, although none present regarded the incident as a drill.
I am currently at Walter Reed Medical in Bethesda where we've been told there is an active shooter. I am currently safe in a conference room w/ approx 40 others.
— Dutch Ruppersberger (@Call_Me_Dutch) November 27, 2018
Local news reported on a huge police response to the medical facility, which sits across the street from the National Institutes of Health, just outside the city limits of Washington, DC.
Huge police response at Walter Reed Medical Center after "active shooter" alert is issued. @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/OHLaDXVM9p
— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) November 27, 2018
A user inside the complex posted video of a police unit entering a nearby building with heavy protection, including a riot shield.
Active shooter situation at Walter Reed. Credit @michellejaldin pic.twitter.com/AHhijm5wju
— Sonia 🍋 (@sonyg0119) November 27, 2018
Another user supplied much more close-up footage of the SWAT team:
The swat team at Walter Reed medical center. pic.twitter.com/Tu1syyWaWL
— Dirty (@MrX_U812) November 27, 2018
Traffic on nearby Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike was blocked between Cedar Lane and Jones Bridge Road near the expansive Walter Reed campus, with police directing drivers to side streets.
NEW: scene outside #WalterReed as MontgomeryCo. Police direct motorists as active shooter report investigated @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/FgM1jWOVU7
— Jackie Bensen (@jackiebensen) November 27, 2018
