Soldier shoots self at U.S. Army base in Virginia, triggering lockdown

USPA News - A U.S. Army base in central Virginia was briefly put on lockdown Monday when a female soldier pulled out a gun and shot herself at the headquarters of the Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM), military officials said. The woman`s condition was not immediately known.

The incident began just after 9 a.m. local time when first responders received reports of a female soldier with a gun inside the building housing the Combined Arms Support Headquarters at Fort Lee, a U.S. Army post in central Virginia, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of Richmond. "Early reports indicate the soldier turned the weapon on herself and fired one shot, injuring herself," base spokesman Stephen Baker said in an email. He said the soldier was transported to Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, but her condition was not immediately disclosed. No one else was injured. Authorities initially feared an active shooter was on base, triggering a lockdown while first responders assessed the situation. "All personnel should enact active shooter protocols immediately. The installation is being locked down until further notice," Fort Lee had said in an initial emergency message as alarms wailed across the base. The Fort Lee installation operations center issued the all clear at 9:50 a.m. Baker said Special Agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command were on scene to investigate the shooting. "Fort Lee officials take this incident very seriously and are fully cooperating with the investigation," the spokesman said. A possible motive for the shooting was not yet known.