The Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., was put in lockdown mode Thursday morning as police searched for what they believed was an active shooter – but investigators ultimately determined the incident was nothing, and issued an "all clear" ruling an estimated two hours later.
By then members of the media had already been murmuring about the possibility of a hoax.
Rep. Peter King from New York, for instance, told Fox News a little more than an hour into the investigation – as authorities were still searching for a suspect – the lockdown could end up being a waste of manpower.
"A lot of factors have to be taken into account," he said, speaking of the fact that nobody from the government or police had actually come forward to confirm a shooter was on the loose. "It could be nothing."
TRENDING: To DEI for
Park Police confirmed shortly after 8 a.m. police had received a call of gunfire and that dozens of law enforcement officials rushed to the scene.
Navy officials, however, put out a quick statement saying the yard was in lock-down and a shelter had been established, but fell shy of confirming an incident involving an active shooter.
The reports of a gunman, or as some media outlets reported, two shooters, closed roads in the capital city nearby the yard.
Officials said in the 10 o'clock hour the shooting reports were likely made by a person who heard loud and sudden noises, and mistakenly identified them as gunshots.
The mass law enforcement response is hardly shocking, given the Navy Yard's recent past.
In 2013, Aaron Alexis, a Navy veteran, shot and killed 12 people during a spree at a couple of office buildings on the facility, including the same Building 197 that police surrounded Thursday. Alexis was ultimately killed by police in a shoot-out. Since, authorities enacted several safety measures that limit access to the complex to two locations.
The chaos also comes amid a spate of warnings from the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense and the FBI about possible Fourth of July attacks on America soil from ISIS or other terror-tied groups, as WND reported.
The Navy Yard is located about a mile from the U.S. Capitol, but police haven't yet announced a change in procedure or business for lawmakers and staff.