10:20 Police chief says lifting shelter-in-place for everyone in area feeling missing 2nd man no threat and sole shooter dead....BTW, shooter's rental car found near Navy Yard. Nothing new on weapons (see below). FBI says he had "valid pass" for access to Navy Yard.
10:00 Mike Isikoff on MSNBC with first shooter-was-obsessed-with-violent-video games meme. Though added, a long way from carrying out massacre. We'll see more of this now.
9:20 Pete Williams of NBC: Shooter purchased shotgun recently--in Virginia. May have shot his way in today and got handgun and AR-15 from safe. But others report how he got weapons unclear.
9:05 p.m. Now we learn that shooter was arrested in Seattle 2004 after he shot out tires on car in street near his home. Police found a Glock in his home. He claimed he was suffering from effects of doing rescue work at Ground Zero earlier, which his father seems to have confirmed. Despite two shooting incidents he got into Navy Reserves and worked with Navy contractors and got security clearances....
7:15 Hewlett-Packard says Aaron worked for one of its firms, The Experts: “We are deeply saddened by today’s tragic events at the Washington Navy Yard. Our thoughts and sympathies are with all those who have been affected. Aaron Alexis was an employee of a company called ‘The Experts,’ a subcontractor to an HP Enterprise Services contract to refresh equipment used on the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) network. HP is cooperating fully with law enforcement as requested.”
5:35 Another friend of shooter with interesting comments on learning Thai language, meditating at Buddhist temple--but being tightly wound, left Navy abruptly, said someone didn't like him.
4:50 Two staffers at Fort Worth Star-Telegram recall D.C. alleged shooter waiting on them at local Thai eatery. One calls him "geeky," the other "very sweet." He stayed in Thailand for awhile.
4:35 Wow, great and not expected statement from chief of hospital, saying repeatedly "something evil...something wrong" in America, leading to mass shootings--didn't say what but said we need "to work together to get rid of it." Wants to see her trauma center "put out of business." You know what she means, reading between the lines. "Just can't have one more shooting with so many people killed." Let's get rid of this. This is not America." Except, of course, it IS America.
4:20 New police briefing: Confirm one suspect ruled out. Other man still missing. No motive known. Now 13 dead. Baseball game off. Confirms shooter is Aaron Alexis, 34, and posted photos at FBI.gov. Want to learn his recent movements and associates.
4:10 Fort Worth paper with much more on shooter. He lived there up to 8 months ago. Was computer guy with contractor. Lived in Flushing, N.Y. about ten years ago.
4:05 Reddit bans sub-Reddit thread on trying to ID and find the missing guy with gun. You'll recall they had very active threat during search for Boston Bombers which eventually was shut down after wrong people named.
3:35 NBC reports alleged gunman arrested previously for weapons firing. Also see mugshot for him in that arrest.
2:50 CNN: white suspect IDed and now cleared. No surprise.
2:40 Pete Williams at MSNBC says shooter IDed as man,34, from Texas who was recently hired as civilian contractor by Navy. Names him as Aaron Alexis but I don't see others confirming that.
2:20: Confusing: Badge ID found next to gunman was not his but for a guy dismissed recently at Navy Yard, who has been taken into custody. Could be nothing or claim that guy gave gunman his badge.
2:05 D.C. police chief briefing: one cop still being treated. 12 confirmed dead. Several officers injured. FBI taking lead now. On "lookout" for the two missing: white male between 40 to 50 yrs old, tan Navy uniform and beret, black male, same age, olive military uniform. Believe "involved in some way" but not clear. "No indication of motive." Won't say if victims found in more than one building, which would be key.
1:55 Now Pete Williams reports of eight dead and 16 wounded. No updates on the two missing men. Navy SEAL on CNN just now says it men spotted with weapons either bad guys or police--military at Navy Yard don't carry around weapons in view.
12:45 Pete Williams: no confirmation of another gunman firing. Two others might be military. Witnesses and video spotted them but could be people not at all involved w/ tragedy.
12:25 MSNBC guest suggests the two missing "gunmen" might just be military personnel/cops who pulled out guns when shooting began. White House reporter says odd that no step up of security if there is two "gunmen" on the loose.
12:12 Mayor and police presser. D.C. chief is a woman. One shooter dead. Multiple victims deceased. "Potentially have 2 others shooters." One white and one black. One in fatigues and beret. May be wearing military uniforms but not military. One had handgun and one had long gun--spotted at time of incident early on but might not be part of case and unconfirmed but search is on. Quite possibly one "shooter" but two others "potentially" on scene--although could turn out not part of this. Might be benign explanation, or not.
12:10 Wash Post just now changed story from "at least 2 shooters" to "as many as 2 shooters."
12:00 Pete Williams still holding with one shooter, man in 50s, probably workplace issue, no terrorism at all. Yet Jake Tapper and Barbara Starr still with the "two gunmen down" just now. Wash Post still reporting flatly "at least two shooters" and one shooted "pinned down" in another building. Cable news strategy: offer false reports, then claim "the situation is liquid." Too much drinking booze beforehand?
11:45 Police pre-presser: Update in 20 minutes but briefly shoot down rumor that there was a shooting at Bolling Air Force Base nearby.
11:40 AP reports the gunman, or one gunman, is dead. NBC also says dead.
11:35 Hospital briefing: Have received 3 victims to be operated on, severe injuries but conscious, one of them a cop, two of them female, "more victims" at scene including a cop.
11:25 Pete Williams still offering caveat that report of 2nd gunman still could be wrong. So many conflicting reports. Police may be shooting locks to open building....Others reporting that two shooters both "down," possibly one dead.
11:10 NBC now reports police enter 2nd building after shots fired from there-- the 2nd gunman? I'm still predicting will turn out one shooter.
11:05 Exactly 8 hours from now Braves vs. Nats game at D.C. park--just blocks from shooting scene.
10:55 Note how Wash Post handles witnesses IDing gunman as "black male." One of the witnesses they note is also black....New reports of shots just fired.
10:50 Wash Post holding to multiple shooters--but cut number from three to two. With one still at large, or could be trapped in stairwell. NBC4 in D.C. also reporting two gunmen but one wonders if it's simply that one gunman moved from floor to floor....CNN and MSNBC still downplaying that.
10:40 Police knocking down reports of 3 shooters. Wash Post perhaps way out of line on that.
10:20 Wash Post blog says police claim may be 3 shooters, 2 at large, one in fatigues. Not confirmed elsewhere, although an NBC reporter had reported this in a very shaky manner. Navy will neither confirm nor deny.
10:15 NBC's Jim Miklazewski says 12 shot and gunman only "cornered," not captured. Seems to be "barricaded" in room.
10:05 WRC reports 4 dead, 10 total victims, gunman "down." Still, amazing that all flights on hold at Reagan Airport, Wash Post reports.
10 a.m. Pete Williams suggesting incident more or less over. Gunman shot about 9:30. Not known if alive or dead. IDed as "black male." Not known if military or civilian.
Pete Williams of NBC: now 7 victims, with one fed and one local police officer. Gunman with AR-15.
Earlier: Started at 8:20 ET. Reporter from there on scene just heard more shots (at 9:15 ET) and report of "officer down." At 9:25, WUSA reports police confirm 5 wounded, including one cop. Wash Post says "all critical." Photo of one victim on pavement by Tim Hogan via Twitter at left, who was allegedly shot as gunman arrived at building 197. Live EMS audio feed.
Site is just blocks from Nationals baseball park. Unconfirmed reports have gunman with a shotgun and rifle and in building 197, a headquarters building and very large. NBC reporter on scene claims gunman may be on roof of building. People there told to "shelter in place" but they are phoning out to say "several" wounded. Unconfirmed.
Official Navy release earlier:
An active shooter was reported inside the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters building (Bldg. 197) on the Washington Navy Yard at 8:20 a.m. (Eastern Time).
There is one confirmed injury. Emergency personnel are on scene and a "shelter in place" order has been issued for Navy Yard personnel.
The Naval Sea Systems Command's headquarters is the work place for about 3,000 people.
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