Friday, September 16, 2011

Davis Monthan on Lockdown: "No Shots Fired" [UPDATED]

Posted By on Fri, Sep 16, 2011 at 2:45 PM

There's very little news so far coming out of the Air Force base, but the entire area is apparently on lockdown, including the elementary schools on premise.

12:16 PM: According to KMSB 11, Tucson Fire has confirmed one "patient" with multiple shots fired. [This turned out to be incorrect.]

12:28 PM: Not much new information, although the rumor mill is in full swing, with KGUN 9 posting on their site that "One caller said she was inside the BX grocery store in the base when an announcement came over the PA stating that the store's doors would be locked due to reports of a shooter on base with an AK 47. Three callers stated that there were up to 2 shooters and that multiple shots had been fired."

Despite that, a DM emailed press release reports that "no shots have been fired and no one has been hurt".

12:34 p.m.: Buzz on the radio scanner confirms Tucson Fire is in the process of "transporting a patient to the front gate."

12:41 p.m.: Update from DM's Facebook page: "Currently, there is an ambulance leaving Davis-Monthan. It has nothing to do with the security situation. A member of our community is pregnant and she is being taken to the hospital."

12:46 p.m.: From KMSB: "DM Spokesperson Sgt. James Martin says "unconfirmed spotting" of man with weapon. Locked down for "safety and security"."

12:49 p.m.: Davis Monthan now admits that there's a potential armed gunman: "Davis-Monthan AFB is responding to a unconfimed [sic] report of an individual with a weapon. Local agencies are engaged per standard operating procedures."

12:55 p.m.: KOLD is talking to an officer at the moment. Repeating that no shots were fired and that no one is injured, however, they have not found the "suspicious person" that kicked off the lockdown.

1:12 p.m.: Tucson Fire Department Spokeswoman Trish Tracy had no comment except to forward the press release from the base stating no one was hurt and no shots have been fired. "That's all I've got," Tracy said.

1:27 p.m.: From the Sonoran Schools twitter feed: "Thanks for your concern about our Davis-Monthan campus. The school is on lockdown and all students are safe."

2:04 p.m.: Still no news from the base, but Golf Links has been closed from Swan to Craycroft as a precautionary measure by Tucson Police.

2:12 p.m.: For what's it worth, and KGUN has certainly flying fast and loose with info today, but they currently have a photo from a helicopter of what looks like a SWAT team heading toward building 4300 on base:

A helicopter crew from KGUN9 news partner KNXV-TV of Phoenix observed activity surrounding one of the buildings on the base. The structrure is identified as building 4300, which one caller to KGUN9 News described as an old dorm room also known as the Civil Engineering building. The chopper was flying about five miles outside the base, and using a telephoto lens to see the building. A file of people in SWAT-style uniforms could be seen at one point approaching the building.

2:25 p.m.: From the DMAFB Twitter feed: "For those who have children at the schools on base and release plan is being compiled."

2:36 p.m.: Fox 11 reports via Twitter that a large stream of cars has left the Craycroft gate.

2:44 p.m.: From the Arizona Republic:


Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is on lockdown after an armed civilian got on to the base and barricaded himself in a room on the second floor of a building known as the "Old Dorm," a source told The Arizona Republic.

The source said the man took no hostages and has fired no shots. Authorities were negotiating with the man and SWAT teams were in position.

3:19 p.m.: From Fox 11 via Twitter: "#TPD confirms its SWAT and Bomb Squad are staged "near" DMAFB if they are needed, but not actively involved right now."

4:20 p.m.: Off-base parents of students at the two schools on DMAFB can pick up their children via the Wilmot gate.

From the DMAFB Facebook page:

Schools are being released and the rest of base personnel will follow pending their commanders direction. Everyone can not be released at this time ensure we do not have a bottle-neck incident at the gates. Thank you for your cooperation.

4:23 p.m.: Golf Links between Swan and Craycroft has been re-opened, but that part of town will likely be a traffic nightmare for sometime.

5:08 p.m.: From the @DMAFB Twitter feed: "Base officials have terminated the response to a potential security incident that began at 11 a.m. today."

5:09 p.m.: From the @DMAFB Twitter feed: "Davis-Monthan residents are advised to resume normal activities"

More to come as we get information.

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