ANNAPOLIS, Md. – More than 24 hours after chaos erupted at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, the campus remains closed for public access.
New details came out on Friday about how a threat led to mass confusion and caused a midshipman to be shot by an officer.
What happened:
A day after the attack, details remain extremely limited as we’re still trying to get a full understanding of what happened at the campus Thursday evening. Officials have remained tight-lipped while several rumors have circulated online.
What we do know is that it all started just after 5 p.m. in Bancroft Hall—a dorm for midshipmen.
Officially, the Naval Academy is still only saying that law enforcement responded to reports of suspicious activity. Naval security forces and local police responded.
A Navy spokesperson confirmed that there was no active shooter threat to the campus but while forces were clearing a building, a midshipman was injured and air lifted to shock trauma. They say the midshipman is in stable condition.
Dig deeper:
A source close to the investigation told FOX 5 that a dismissed midshipman made online threats spoofing a Naval Academy IP address, which made investigators think he was on base and that he was posing as a law enforcement officer.
During the clearing of Bankcroft Hall, it’s believed that a well-meaning midshipman attacked a person who was a legitimate law-enforcement officer, thinking it was the person of interest. In the struggle, the midshipman was shot by the law enforcement officer.
A witness told us they heard three gunshots.
Shots fired at Naval Academy in Annapolis
The Naval Academy went on lockdown for hours on Thursday after threats were reported and gunshots were fired. It’s now known that a midshipman was shot amid confusion that was sparked by a swatting-style threat. A witness sent FOX 5 video in which you can hear one of the shots.
What they’re saying:
It was a scary and emotional moment for both Annapolis residents, and parents of the midshipmen at the academy.
“I think he probably did an inmate thing by going into defensive mode. And I’m sure they are trained on some level to do just that. So I don’t fault him for that. Thank God it was just a shoulder so I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Annapolis resident Bevin McManus said. “Maybe he’ll be acknowledged on a higher level because he’s… it’s the most incredible military school in America.”
“There wasn’t a lot of information. They just said it’s on lockdown. There’s a shooter on site. There was a shooting. They didn’t know who shot who or what but it was,” said Jeff Etterbeek , the parent of a midshipman at the academy. “My wife was in tears but that’s part of being in the Navy, you know. You’re going to face a lot of adversity and danger going down the line so maybe it was a good training session for us.”
As far as the injured midshipman, the latest information we have is that he’s in stable condition but it’s not yet clear if they are still in the hospital.
Full statement:
The U.S. Naval Academy Office of Public Affairs released a new statement on Friday, saying:
“On Thursday, September 11 at approximately 5:07 PM EST, Naval Support Activity Annapolis security and local law enforcement responded to reports of a security concern at the United States Naval Academy. During the response, two individuals were injured. A midshipman sustained injuries from a gunshot wound to the shoulder and was transported to a local hospital where he was treated and released today. The other person, a member of the naval security force, received minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital before being released.
We want to clarify that there was no active shooter at the Naval Academy. While Naval Support Activity has resumed normal operations, general public visitation to the Academy remains closed for today. A full investigation into the incident is underway with NCIS and law enforcement. We are grateful for the continued support and collaboration of our local law enforcement partners.”
