Pentagon Confirms 1 Officer Killed After Gunman Goes on Shooting Spree Outside Pentagon

The gunman reportedly fired shots near a metro station before trying to break into the Pentagon before he was shot dead.

The Pentagon in Washington, DC was locked down on Tuesday after gunshots were fired near the facility's metro station.

According to AP, their reporter near the building heard multiple gunshots, while another of the news agency's journalist heard police yelling "shooter." A Pentagon announcement said the facility was shut down due to "police activity."

At least one person "was down," with their condition currently unknown, the media outlet added, citing two sources "who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to release information publicly."

The Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) tweeted that the lockdown was "due to an incident at the Pentagon Transit Centre" and urged the public to avoid the area.

The Pentagon currently is on lock down due to an incident at the Pentagon Transit Center. We are asking the public to please avoid the area. More information will be forthcoming.

— Pentagon Force Protection Agency (Official) (@PFPAOfficial) August 3, 2021

The Pentagon Transit Center, the site of a reported shooting this morning, is outside the Pentagon itself, but on Pentagon grounds. Regular bus routes and the Metro are available from there.

This map shows its location in proximity to the building: pic.twitter.com/DDJ0BxRKLV

— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) August 3, 2021

Subway trains were reportedly ordered to bypass the Pentagon's station due to a police investigation. 

Arlington County emergency services also said there were "several patients" at the scene, AFP notes.

"Scene still active," they said.

A Sputnik correspondent on the ground said the blue line of the city's metro was suspended on Tuesday afternoon following the shooting.

According to Politico, a Pentagon Force Protection Agency official told the outlet that the suspected gunman was unable to get inside the Pentagon building and was shot by a Pentagon police officer.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency has already announced that the lockdown has been lifted, noting that the metro entrance still remains closed.

The Pentagon has lifted the lock down and has reopened. Corridor 2 and the Metro entrance remains closed. Corridor 3 is open for pedestrian traffic.

— Pentagon Force Protection Agency (Official) (@PFPAOfficial) August 3, 2021

News outlet Citizen Stringer said, citing a radio transmission from the Arlington County Fire Department, that at least three victims have been identified so far, "one of whom has since been pronounced dead."

Pentagon later confirmed that one of their officers was killed during the shooting.