Two people are dead after a suspect attacked an officer at a transit station outside the Pentagon — the first deadly attack at the station in more than 10 years, officials told the Associated Press.
An officer, who officials said was attacked, was stabbed and later died. The suspect was shot and killed by law enforcement at the scene, the AP reported.
The Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military, was temporarily placed on lockdown after the incident Tuesday morning near the entrance of the building.
Pentagon Force Protection Agency chief Woodrow Kusse said the officer "was attacked on the Metro Bus platform" and "gunfire was exchanged."
Kusse refused to confirm or deny reports about the two deaths at a press briefing Tuesday afternoon. He cited the "active ongoing investigation" and said information was still being obtained about how the incident unfolded and how many people were involved.
He said there were "several casualties," a term that can mean injured or deaths.
Pentagon Force Protection Agency, which is responsible for security at the building, put the building on lockdown around 10:30 a.m. after the violence at the Pentagon Transit Center, which is just steps away from the Pentagon building.
Asked about condolences pouring in for the officer, including from Sen. Mark Warner — the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee — Kusse still would not say whether an officer was injured or killed.
He said the incident would likely spur a security review at the Pentagon.
"There are a number of measures that we have in place out there. Every time an incident occurs, whether it's here or anywhere else across the nation or in the world, we do after-action [reports] on those, we examine them, we look for things that we can do to improve," Kusse said.
Kusse said it was too soon to know whether the suspect was attempting to breach the building or whether it was terrorism related.
Authorities and Pentagon officials did not immediately provide details on the sequence of events.
The Arlington County Fire Department reported “multiple patients,” but it wasn’t immediately clear if they had been shot and the extent of their injuries were unknown.
The FBI, which is leading the investigation into the incident, similarly did not offer any details on the number of injured or how the incident unfolded when asked by USA TODAY.
"At this time, it would be premature to speculate on motive, and in order to protect the integrity of the investigation we cannot provide additional details at this time," the bureau said in a statement provided to USA TODAY by spokeswoman Samantha Shero. "There is no ongoing threat to the public."
An Associated Press reporter near the building heard several gunshots, then a pause, then at least one additional shot. Another AP journalist heard police yell “shooter.”
The PFPA said on Twitter the scene of the incident in Arlington, Virginia, was secure but is still "an active crime scene," and people should "stay away from the Metro rail entrance and bus platform area." Transportation at the Pentagon was being diverted to the Pentagon City subway station, the agency said.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were at the White House meeting with President Joe Biden when the incident occurred.
When Austin returned to the Pentagon, he stopped at the Pentagon police operation center and met with officers to "express his gratitude for everything they're doing on this," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said. Kirby added Ausin was informed about the violence and received updates throughout the morning.
Austin was "concerned about the incident, about the potential for violence right here on the Pentagon reservation and certainly was very concerned about any casualties that occurred," Kirby added.
It was the first deadly incident at the Pentagon's transit hub in more than 10 years.
In 2010, two officers with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency were wounded when a gunman approached them at a security screening area. The officers, who survived, returned fire and killed gunman John Patrick Bedell.
Contributing: The Associated Press
