Tuesday 26 January 2016

Navy finds no sign of shooting at San Diego hospital

Navy finds no sign of shooting at San Diego hospital

Authorities responded in force Tuesday to a report of an “active shooter” at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego — but neither a shooter nor victims could be found during a thorough search of the facility.
A lone person reported to military police that three shots rang out about 8 a.m. local time in the basement of a building that houses offices and barracks for wounded sailors and Marines as well as a gym.
The facility responded with an ominous warning on its Facebook page.
“Attention! An active shooter has just been reported in building #26 at Naval Medical Center San Diego. All occupants are advised to run, hide or fight. All non-emergency response personnel are asked to stay away from the compound,” the post read.
The tension heightened after San Diego cops said on radio broadcasts that they had “received information” that the gunman had barricaded himself and up to 100 children in a room at the sprawling facility.
Cops searched the area, fearing a possible Sandy Hook-like massacre, but the reports turned out to be false.
“We’re not taking any chances and are executing procedures we’ve been trained for in this kind of situation,” Mike Alvarez, a spokesman for the hospital, told AP.
Military police, the California Highway Patrol and San Diego cops with K9 units all rushed to the center, the largest military medical facility in the western US.
Three local schools — San Diego High School, Garfield High School and Roosevelt Middle School — were temporarily locked down as a precaution after the announcement, KTLA TV reported.
“Parents should be reassured that their kids are safe and we are monitoring the situation closely,” Linda Zintz, a spokeswoman for San Diego Unified Schools, told the station.
The 272-bed, multi-specialty hospital is located on about 78 acres in the southeast corner of Balboa Park, about 2½ miles from downtown.
More than 6,500 military, civilian, contractor and volunteer personnel work at the center.
Employees based there deploy to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Djibouti and aboard the USNS Mercy, the medical center’s website said.

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