Midshipman, security officer injured as U.S. Naval Academy building was being cleared after reported threat
A U.S. Naval Academy midshipman and a security official were injured Thursday as law enforcement officers were clearing a building following a reported threat that prompted a campus lockdown, according to Naval Support Activity Annapolis (NSAA) and academy officials.
On Friday, Naval Academy officials clarified that a midshipman was shot in the shoulder and was taken to a hospital. The midshipman has since been released.
A member of the Naval Security Force also suffered minor injuries and was treated and released from a hospital, officials said. The nature of those injuries is unclear.
According to academy officials, the incident occurred around 5 p.m. as Naval Support Activity Annapolis (NSAA) and local law enforcement were responding to reports of a security concern on campus.
The midshipman was shot while Naval Security Forces worked to clear a building.
"A security officer was going through room by room, and that's when the incident occurred, but again, non-fatal, going to make a full recovery," Rep. Sara Elfreth, who represents Annapolis, told WJZ.
The threat was determined to be unfounded, officials said, and the lockdown was cleared overnight.
"I've heard the same thing about somewhere off campus, threats were being made online, and at another, out of an abundance of caution, I believe the Naval Academy went into lockdown...It's a big campus, and Bancroft Hall is a really big building, so it took a long time to clear. There are thousands of midshipmen that they had to account for. There are midshipmen out on boats on the water doing training. They were able to seek shelter," Elfreth explained.
She says there needs to be a review of the lockdown procedures moving forward to avoid something like this from happening again.
"Were our lockdown procedures the right ones? What went wrong? What went well? How do we do this better in the future because, unfortunately, we're living in a time we're bombed threats to campuses are an almost everyday occurrence," Elfreth added.
Tensions heightened
Visitation at the Naval Academy was suspended on Friday. NCIS is leading the investigation.
The tension felt by neighbors who live near the Naval Academy in Annapolis has been heightened after what has been a challenging week nationwide. Kyle Reinfried is visiting Annapolis and staying across the street from Gate 2. He says he heard the lockdown announcement and went inside.
"We all know exactly what's going on. We just hear the announcement. We hear cop cars. We hear helicopters," Reinfried said. "We hear an announcement…Some young college students living right there got announcements on their phones, and they're saying, 'lock down, and please go inside'. We do go inside for a little bit, lock the doors."
Shawn Hughes lives down the street and served eight years in the Navy. He called the initial reports unsettling.
"I think this week has just caused a lot of unrest. You know, with folks, a lot of concern. People are very politically polarized, but I think as a country we just need to come together," Hughes said.
Naval Academy placed on lockdown
NSAA said that the campus was on lockdown following reports of threats around 5:41 p.m. The NSAA said the reports were of suspicious activity on the Naval Academy grounds.
One Annapolis resident said she was in panic when she heard about the initial reports.
"Absolutely terrifying," said Annapolis resident Anne Lillefloren. "You are thinking, 'Oh my gosh, I know students there, I know staff there. I walk around the academy almost every morning with my dad. So everyone who comes in contact, you're thinking. 'Oh, who could be there? Who could this reach? Just panic, and in today's climate, what can happen, all of these false reports, so you don't know what the truth is."
Police were seen around Bancroft Hall, a large residence hall on campus that houses 1,600 midshipmen.
The lockdown was lifted around midnight, and NSAA officials said an investigation is underway. The academy is closed to public visitation on Friday.