Washington Navy Yard: No signs of shooting, no arrests, no weapons say official

The official says authorities received an alert about a potential shooter Thursday morning, which triggered a large response in keeping with protocols established after a gunman killed 12 workers in a 2013 massacre.

No injuries have been reported.

Navy security saw surveillance video of two people jumping the fence in the vicinity of the building a couple of minutes before the first report of gunfire, a federal official had said earlier.

Security found no one inside the building, the official said.

A heavy police and fire department presence began blocks away from the Navy Yard, with roads blocked and a helicopter hovering overhead. Gates to the Navy Yard were closed, and all people were being advised to shelter in place, said Chatney Auger, spokeswoman for Naval District Washington.

Thousands would be at the base at the time of the reports, Navy public affairs officer Chris Johnson told reporters outside the facility.

In September 2013, military contractor Aaron Alexis killed 12 civilian workers at the Navy Yard’s Building 197 before he was fatally shot by police. The building has since been renamed the Humphreys Building. It reopened this year.

When facilities specialist Chris Robertson heard an alarm and loudspeaker instructions about 7:30 am, he said his first thought was: “Here we go again.”

He said his supervisor called at 7:33 am and told him and his two co-workers to leave. He also said he hadn’t noticed anything unusual Thursday morning- everything was normal.

The Navy Yard is the oldest naval installation in the US.

#BREAKING: #USNavy confirms no sign of shooting @NavalDistWash #NavyYard. All personnel ok. Follow-on NCIS investigation ongoing.

— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) July 2, 2015

#BREAKING: #NavyYard lockdown/shelter continues. No further info at this time. More to follow.

— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) July 2, 2015