The Maryland security base Joint Base Andrews has been sealed off after a security breach and an active shooter on site on Sunday, according to reports.
This occured moments after Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, had taken off, leaving the military base for the Naval Observatory on Marine Two.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to attend an event to discuss “funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to remove and replace lead services lines across America,” at the Training Recreation Education Center in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., February 11, 2022.
© REUTERS / EDUARDO MUNOZ
The vice president, together with a number of cabinet members, had arrived at the military base after a trip to Selma, Alabama, to mark the 57th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday", a key moment in the civil rights moment, according to NPR’s White House correspondent Scott Detrow, who tweeted:
"[The] Guards stopped the shuttle reporters take from the terminal. They had rifles out and searched our van."
Joint Base Andrews later confirmed on Twitter that a vehicle had driven through the security checkpoint and failed to adhere to commands of security personnel at the main gate.
The 316th Security Forces Group had "deployed barriers to stop the vehicle." Two individuals fled, one was apprehended, one was said to be still at large. While no shots were fired, the Twitter post from Joint Base Andrews added that the individual apprehended had a weapon in their possession. It was also stated that there was no current active shooter situation at the base, but the intruder's whereabouts were "unknown". There were no reports of injuries.
The main gate to Joint Base Andrews remained closed.