“Police now believe two shooters, including one in fatigues, have killed four people and wounded eight others at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday, throwing the region into fear and chaos during the morning commute,” washingtonpost.com reports. [UPDATE: the press seems to be backing off multiple shooters in favor of a “thin, bald, male and is carrying an assault weapon.”] “At least one of the shooters is ‘down,’ police said mid-morning, but it was unclear whether that means the suspect has been arrested or shot. They said the other suspect remains at large, and police believe they have pinned down one between the third and fourth floors of one of the buildings on the installation in Southeast Washington.” Another gun-free zone spree killing, then, only with more security, as the Post reveals . . .
In a number of tweets from the base, employees expressed their fright. One tweet said people were stuck on the fourth floor of the headquarters building, while the shooter was firing from the third floor. Others wrote of being incredulous that a shooter could get inside the building . . .
“The President has been briefed several times about the unfolding situation at the Washington Navy Yard by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco and Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromanaco,” the official said. “The President directed his team to stay in touch with our federal partners, including the Navy and FBI, as well as the local officials. We urge citizens to listen to the authorities and follow directions from the first responders on site.”
We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: the people who are attacked are the first responders. Beside and because, when seconds count, the cops are only minutes away. Or, as NBC reports, more than an hour.
The Navy said on its Twitter feed that three shots were fired at 8:20 a.m. ET at the Sea Systems Command headquarters. Almost an hour later, the Navy still characterized the shooter as “active.” The military officials said that the gunman may have been armed with an AR-15, a military-style assault rifle.