Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County was placed on lockdown Thursday afternoon when an unauthorized individual was seen walking on the base with a rifle.
The lockdown began at around 2:30 p.m. but no gunshots had been fired and no injuries were reported, the base said. Shortly before 5:30 p.m., the base said in a Facebook post that leadership “has directed limited release from lockdown” and no suspect was found.
At around 2:30 pm, JBA went on lockdown after armed individual was reported near base housing. There is NO active shooter; NO shots have been fired. No injuries or deaths reported. Incident is ongoing.
— Joint Base Andrews (@Andrews_JBA) March 30, 2023
In a Facebook message, the base earlier reported: “An armed individual has been reported near base housing. Stay away from base housing.” The message described the person as “a white male, wearing a purple sweatshirt, black shorts, carrying a ar-15 style rifle with no orange tip.”
Joint Base Andrews in Maryland is the home airport of the president’s Air Force One.
At 5 p.m., Kylene Yumul, a spokeswoman for the base, said the lockdown was still in place, though authorities were slowly allowing people with children to leave the property and pick up students at schools in the area.
“Security Forces has swept the base and will continue to go door-to-door at Base Housing,” the base said on Facebook. “Out of an abundance of caution, there remains an increased Security Forces presence on base.”
Those on the east side of the base were released at 5:30 p.m.
By 6 p.m., “the lockdown will be lifted and all personnel are released to depart base,” base authorities said.