Washington DC on high alert after shooting at naval yard

Situation ‘fluid’ in Washington after 12 killed and wounded

CHAOS erupted at the US Navy Yard in Washington DC yesterday after gunmen went on a shooting spree.

Police, left, and federal agents from multiple law enforcement agencies rushed to the scene. Ambulances were parked outside, centre, streets were closed and flights from Reagan National Airport were temporarily halted.

Emergency personnel attended to the injured on the scene, right.

A defence department official said several people were killed and an unspecified number wounded.

WASHINGTON: At least 12 people were killed in a shooting yesterday at the US Navy Yard in Washington, where one suspected gunman was among the dead and authorities were searching for two other possible assailants wearing military-style clothing, officials said.

The shooting began at about 8.36am.

The exact number of dead and wounded fluctuated in the hours following the shooting. A navy official said earlier that four people had died and eight others were injured after at least one gunman opened fire at the heavily guarded site, where about 3 000 people work.

But other officials suggested caution over those numbers, saying the situation was in flux. Washington police declined to give a number of deaths, saying there were “multiple victims” the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters, 4km from the White House.

Among the injured were a District of Columbia police officer, who was in stable condition in surgery, and another law enforcement officer.

“There were three gunshots straight in a row,” said Patricia Ward, who works at the navy yard, describing how she first heard the gunfire while having breakfast at the headquarters building.

A few seconds later she heard four more gunshots. Security guards rushed in and told us to “run, run, run”.

Washington Hospital Center said it was treating three gunshot victims, who were in critical condition, and was expecting more to arrive, but it was not clear how many.

Dozens of police and emergency vehicles surrounded the complex. Helicopters circled the headquarters.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it briefly suspended departures at Reagan National Airport.

The White House said President Barack Obama had been briefed.

The navy yard is the oldest shore facility of the US Navy. A former shipyard and ordinance plant, it is home to the Naval Sea Systems Command, the museum and other facilities.

Pentagon spokesman George Little said Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel was receiving regular updates on the situation. Little declined to provide additional details, saying the situation remained “fluid”. – Reuters