Confusion at Andrews

Confusion abounded Thursday morning after a report of a real-world active shooter at a medical facility at JB Andrews, Md., coincided with a scheduled active shooter exercise on the other side of the base. An “all clear,” with the exception of the Malcolm Grow medical facility, was posted on the base’s Twitter account, around 10:40 a.m., about an hour and a half after receiving a report of a shooter. “First responders determined there was no threat to the base,” according to an Andrews tweet. However, “reports of a real-world active shooter situation at the medical facility were miscommunicated before the exercise was able to begin,” reads another tweet. An Air Force spokeswoman told Air Force Magazine first responders were giving the medical facility an extra sweep out of an abundance of caution. The base went into lockdown around 9 a.m., and personnel were directed to shelter in place, according to a release. “We take all threats seriously and reacted to ensure the security of those on the base. I applaud the quick reaction of our first responders in keeping the safety of our JBA family a No.1 priority,” said Col. Brad Hoagland, commander of the 11th Wing at Andrews. “In addition, we thank our local authorities for quickly standing by and offering their assistance.”