Officer dead and suspect killed in Pentagon violence
3 August 2021, 16:25 | Updated: 3 August 2021, 19:54
An officer died after being stabbed during a burst of violence at a transit station outside the Pentagon, and a suspect in the incident was shot dead at the scene, officials have said.
The Pentagon in Virginia, the headquarters of the US military, was placed under lockdown on Tuesday morning following a shooting reported near the building’s entrance, resulting in multiple injuries.
A Pentagon officer who was stabbed during the burst of violence later died, according to officials.
More details about the violence are expected at a Pentagon news conference.
The connection between the shooting and the stabbing of the officer was not immediately clear. The authorities did not immediately provide details or the sequence of events.
Arlington County Fire Department reported "multiple patients" but it was not immediately clear if they had been shot or the extent of the injuries.
The incident occurred on a Metro bus platform that is part of the Pentagon Transit Centre, the Pentagon Protection Force Protection Agency tweeted.
The protection agency has since released an update that the scene is "secure" but remains an "active crime scene".
The scene of the incident is secure. It is still an active crime scene. We request that everyone stay away from the Metro rail entrance and bus platform area. Transportation at the Pentagon is diverted to Pentagon City.
— Pentagon Force Protection Agency (Official) (@PFPAOfficial) August 3, 2021
It requested that everyone stay away from the Metro rail entrance and bus platform area.
The facility was placed on lockdown following the gunshots.
A spokesman for the Pentagon confirmed shortly after noon (local time) that it had lifted the lockdown. Corridor 2 and the Metro entrance remain closed but Corridor 3 is open for pedestrian traffic.
An Associated Press reporter near the building heard multiple gunshots, then a pause, then at least one additional shot.
Another AP journalist heard police yelling "shooter".
The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, and sits in Arlington county, Virginia, near Washington D.C.
Defence secretary Lloyd Austin and General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were at the White House meeting President Joe Biden at the time of the shooting.
This story is being updated