"It was a report for an active shooter, it was a third party call," a public information officer for the Metropolitan Police Department told Sputnik News on Monday. "We responded and we cleared the location with nothing found. It's clear now."
Staff members were "sheltering in place" as the situation unfolded, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department told Reuters.
Officials told the local Fox affiliate that there were, in fact, no indications of a shooter inside the building. An unknown "third party" called in the threat of a gunman, Fox 5 DC said.
The police would later release the "all clear" signal, indicating there is no imminent danger at the DOJ.
The details of the incident are under police investigation, police said, as reported by ABC-7 WJLA.