Authorities investigating a report of a single gunshot heard at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda Monday morning said they have found no evidence that a shooting occurred on the campus.
Montgomery County Police Department spokesman Capt. Paul Starks said in a Monday afternoon briefing that no injuries were reported and that there was no indication a shooting took place.
Officers were still making their way through a 20-story office building, searching office by office for any evidence, Capt. Starks said. After the officers clear the building, police plan to send in a canine team to search for explosive devices as a precaution.
Police received a call from inside the building reporting the sound of a gunshot at 10:48 a.m. Capt. Starks declined to provide any details on the person who made the phone call.
Federal law enforcement teams were also on the scene Monday, with the ATF and FBI and others assisting local officials.
Monday’s incident follows a similar report made Thursday at the Washington Navy Yard, which also drew massive police response.
In Thursday’s incident, a woman reported hearing a gunshot inside Building 197 at the Navy Yard — the site of a 2013 mass shooting. Police found no evidence of a shooting. They said the report made by the woman was not a hoax.
The Navy issued a statement early Monday confirming the campus lockdown and telling employees to shelter in place.
As of early Monday afternoon, officials had not lifted the lockdown and officials announced that all non-emergency patient care at the facility would be suspended for the rest of the day.
Traffic around the facility was also snarled as Maryland Route 355, which borders the campus, was closed until about 1:30 p.m.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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