US "Navy Yard on lockdown" following an active gunman attack

An "active gunman" is reported to have fired shots at the Navy Yard in Washington DC.


Video footage on Sky News showed armed US Marshals wearing body armour outside the gates of the defence facility on the Anacostia River.
A tweet from the US Navy account said: "Navy Yard on lockdown/shelter in place. No incident can be confirmed as of yet. More to follow."

The Navy Yard, in the southeast of Washington DC, is the country's oldest naval installation.

In September 2013, gunman Aaron Alexis killed 12 people after he went on a shooting rampage with a stolen pistol at building 197 in the Navy Yard.

The US Navy Yard is located on the Anacostia River

Reports said: "They will be scouring the naval yard and trying to establish the whereabouts of the gunman.

"It's just very much at the early stages of what is turning out to be a massive security operation.

"If this is part of a wider plot that will also be a concern, but they have learned in the US not to jump to conclusions."

Scene in Navy Yard. pic.twitter.com/4IfUu0fFPy

— Alex Prewitt (@alex_prewitt) July 2, 2015

More police and SWAT just arrived at #NavyYard, which is on lockdown with reports of an active shooter. pic.twitter.com/BrMyEbI3AA

— PJ Elliott (@PJElliottRadio) July 2, 2015

The pedestrian plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue, in front of the White House, has been sealed off by law enforcement after the Navy Yard alert.

The Navy Yard, in the southeast of Washington DC, is the country's oldest naval installation.
More details coming...