The Pentagon went on lockdown for several hours Tuesday morning after an exchange of gunfire and several apparent casualties near the building’s Metro stop.
The Arlington County Fire Department confirmed it was treating “multiple patients” from the incident and the Associated Press was reporting that at least one of those wounded was a police officer.
“We are asking the public to please avoid the area,” the Pentagon Force Protection Agency said in a Twitter message, saying the incident occurred at the Pentagon Transit Center.
The Pentagon said shortly after noon that the lockdown had been lifted and the building reopened. The entrance to the Metro, a major stop for both the Blue and Yellow subway lines that is just steps from the giant military building, was still closed.
Witnesses said a number of emergency vehicles had reported to the scene. One eyewitness told the local Channel 4/NBC News affiliate that at least two people were being given medical treatment on the ground at the Metro site before being evacuated.
An Associated Press reporter said he heard a volley of gunshots, and another AP employee said police officers yelled “Shooter” as the incident unfolded, the wire service reported.
The agency said further information about the incident would follow.