WASHINGTON, DC -- A gunman opened fire at the subway entrance to Pentagon complex Thursday evening, wounding two Pentagon police officers, a spokesman said.
The alleged gunman also was wounded, said Chris Layman, a
spokesman for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
Authorities
said all three were taken to a hospital. None the injuries were
thought to be life-threatening, Layman said.
Layman said the suspect walked up to the subway entrance at 6:40
p.m. and opened fire.
He hit two officers.
The officers fired back,
and the suspect was hit.
His injures are more serious.
Initially, hundreds of employees at the Pentagon were ordered to go into "Code Red" -- the entire building locked down, with no one allowed to enter or leave.
After about 45 minutes, people were allowed to leave the building through entrances other than the one closest to the Metro station.
The rush-hour assault happened outside a massively fortified
building that nevertheless is near busy crowds of transit riders.
The subway station is immediately adjacent to the Pentagon
building.
Since a redesign following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attack on the Pentagon, riders can no longer disembark directly
into the building.
Riders take a long escalator ride to the surface
from the underground station, then pass through a security check
outside the doors of the building, where further security awaits.
In the immediate aftermath, all Pentagon entrances were secured,
then all were reopened except one from the subway, said Pentagon
spokesman Bryan Whitman.
The alleged gunman also was wounded, said Chris Layman, a
spokesman for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
Authorities
said all three were taken to a hospital. None the injuries were
thought to be life-threatening, Layman said.
Layman said the suspect walked up to the subway entrance at 6:40
p.m. and opened fire.
He hit two officers.
The officers fired back,
and the suspect was hit.
His injures are more serious.
Initially, hundreds of employees at the Pentagon were ordered to go into "Code Red" -- the entire building locked down, with no one allowed to enter or leave.
After about 45 minutes, people were allowed to leave the building through entrances other than the one closest to the Metro station.
The rush-hour assault happened outside a massively fortified
building that nevertheless is near busy crowds of transit riders.
The subway station is immediately adjacent to the Pentagon
building.
Since a redesign following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attack on the Pentagon, riders can no longer disembark directly
into the building.
Riders take a long escalator ride to the surface
from the underground station, then pass through a security check
outside the doors of the building, where further security awaits.
In the immediate aftermath, all Pentagon entrances were secured,
then all were reopened except one from the subway, said Pentagon
spokesman Bryan Whitman.
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