Later Tuesday, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency issued a statement confirming the loss of the officer, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his condolences and said flags at the Pentagon will be flown at half-staff. The FBI confirmed only that it was investigating and there was “no ongoing threat to the public” but declined to offer details or a possible motive. “I can’t compromise the ongoing investigation,” Kusse said. But Kusse said the Pentagon complex was secure and "we are not actively looking for another suspect at this time.” He said the FBI was leading the investigation. Kusse and other officials declined to rule out terrorism or provide any other potential motive. He would only say that an officer had been attacked and that “gunfire was exchanged.” 6 riot at the Capitol.Īt a Pentagon news conference, Kusse declined to confirm that the officer had been killed or provide even basic information about how the violence had unfolded or how many might be dead.
Tuesday's attack on a busy stretch of the Washington area’s transportation system jangled the nerves of a region already primed to be on high alert for violence and potential intruders outside federal government buildings, particularly following the Jan. A spokesman for the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Lanz had been previously held at the agency’s detention center but referred all other questions to the FBI’s field office in Washington.Īn attorney who represented Lanz in the Georgia cases didn’t immediately respond to a phone message and email seeking comment, and messages left with family members at Lanz’s home in the Atlanta suburb of Acworth, Georgia, were not immediately returned. The charges against him were still listed as pending.
The same day, a separate criminal case was filed against Lanz with six additional charges, including two counts of aggravated battery on police, a count of making a terrorist threat and a charge for rioting in a penal institution, the records show.Ī judge reduced his bond in May to $30,000 and released him, imposing some conditions, including that he not ingest illegal drugs and that he undergo a mental health evaluation. Lanz was arrested in April in Cobb County, Georgia, on criminal trespassing and burglary charges, according to online court records. Marine Corps in October 2012 but was “administratively separated” less than a month later and never earned the title Marine, the Corps said in a statement. The officials could not discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity. Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the attack and were digging into Lanz’s background, including any potential history of mental illness or any reason he might want to target the Pentagon or police officers. Responding officers then shot and killed Lanz. The officer was ambushed by Lanz, who ran at him and stabbed him in the neck, according to two of the law enforcement officials. Metro subway trains were ordered to bypass the Pentagon due to a police investigation.The suspect was identified by multiple law enforcement officials as Austin William Lanz, 27, of Georgia.
The facility is just steps from the Pentagon building, which is in Arlington County, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.Īn Associated Press reporter near the building heard multiple gunshots, then a pause, then at least one additional shot.Īnother AP journalist heard police yelling “shooter.”Ī Pentagon announcement said the facility was on lockdown due to “police activity.” The incident occurred on a Metro bus platform that is part of the Pentagon Transit Center, the Pentagon Protection Force Protection Agency tweeted. The Arlington County Fire Department reported “multiple patients,” but it wasn't immediately clear if they had been shot or the extent of the injuries. The facility, the headquarters of the U.S. WASHINGTON (AP) - Gunshots were fired Tuesday morning near the entrance of the Pentagon, resulting in multiple injuries. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information publicly. Two people familiar with the shooting, which occurred on a Metro bus platform at the Pentagon, said at least one person was down. The Pentagon is on lockdown after multiple gunshots were fired near a platform by the facility’s Metro station. Pentagon police officers walk near the facility’s Metro station, Tuesday, Aug.
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