WASHINGTON, DC (RNN) – At least 12 people have been killed after a shooting Monday at the Washington Naval Yard, and authorities have identified the gunman.
The gunman is identified as 34-year-old Aaron Alexis, who is among the 12 who are dead. He is from Texas.
An official told the Associated Press Alexis is believed to have gotten into the Navy Yard by using someone else’s ID card.
Mayor Vincent Gray confirmed at least 12 people have been killed after the shooting.
One other suspect may be on the loose. Alexis was fingerprinted and identified.
Police first believed there were two additional suspects, but the Metro Police Department has cleared the white male wearing a khaki uniform.
“We are still doing an extensive search. This is a large agency and we have multiple buildings and multiple teams,” Police Chief Cathy Lanier said.
“We potentially have other shooters that we have not located at this point,” Lanier said.
She described one suspect as a black male about 50 years old, 180 pounds, armed with a “long gun,” graying sideburns and wearing an olive or drab colored military-style uniform.
“We have no information to believe either are military personnel, but we do believe they may be wearing military uniforms,” Lanier said.
Washington, DC Mayor Vincent Gray said they had no reason to think it was a terrorist attack, but authorities would continue to investigate.
The Metro Police Department announced multiple dead bodies remained from the shooting inside a building at the Naval Yard.
“With at least 12 confirmed dead at this point, I think the actions by the police officers helped reduce those killed,” Lanier said. “Our hearts go out to the families of the victims.”
Lanier said the incident happened inside the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters building around 8:15 a.m. ET Monday. She said a Metro police officer engaged one of the gunmen, killing the suspect and getting injured in the process.
In addition to the officer shot, other law enforcement members received injuries not related to gunfire. All are expected to recover.
As a result of the incident, the Navy has issued an “Order to Account” for all Navy uniformed personnel, both active duty and selected Reserve, assigned to commands in the DC metro area.
The U.S. Senate complex has been placed in lockdown as a reaction to the shooting. No one will be allowed in or out of the buildings, but the Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer told the Associated Press that people are permitted to move within the buildings.
Patricia Ward, a witness who works in Building 197 where the shooting occurred, said that to get on the base, people do pass through a metal detectors, however there are no metal detectors to get into the individual buildings. Individual ID badges must be scanned to gain entrance into buildings, like a pass key. Security does not search bags if you have an ID, that is considered clearance for the base.
A spokesman from George Washington University Hospital gave a report on the victims they have seen. He said one patient died on the way to the hospital from a single gunshot wound to the head.
Also, four or five people were considered in critical condition, with more than 20 non-critical.
Ed Ziegler of the U.S. Navy told CNN that two shooters were down, but he did not specify if that meant they were in custody or dead.
Ed Buclatin, Commander, Navy Installations Command director of public affairs, wrote on Twitter that at least two shooters were responsible, according to his watch team’s report. He said four people were killed and eight injured, with “one shooter down.”
Janis Orlowski, Chief Operating Officer of Washington Hospital Center, said they were treating three shooting victims, one a male Metro police officer who was undergoing surgery. The other two were female civilians.
Orlowski said the wounds appeared consistent with a semi-automatic weapon, but all three were expected to survive. One of the women has a gunshot wound to her shoulder; the other female victim received a wound to her head and her hand.
WJLA reported the four deaths and 10 others injured, based on a police source. A defense official told the Associated Press that several had been killed with possibly 10 more injured.
The U.S. Navy’s Twitter account confirmed “several” people had been injured when someone opened fire around 8:20 a.m. ET.
CNN reported another member of law enforcement was among the victims, although they did not relay the person’s condition.
“[The shooter] was far enough down the hall, and we could see him aim the rifle at us,” Terry Durham, a witness, told WJLA. “He fired at us as we ran down the hall.”
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