The threat of an active shooter was sparked at Walter Reed Medical Center on Tuesday when a mass notification was sent out to naval base personnel that neglected to include the word “drill.”
The Navy said on Tuesday evening that people received an alert that incorrectly stated an active shooter was on the campus at around 2:30 p.m. and contacted the naval support operations — who sprung into action.
“While preparing for an upcoming drill, the notification system was inadvertently enacted without containing the words “EXERCISE” or “DRILL,” the Navy said in a tweet.
“Individuals who saw the mass notification statement immediately notified NSA Bethesda security, where they responded accordingly and instituted an installation-wide active shooter response.”
The response led to confusion as those in the hospital were warned about a shooter. It was later determined that there was no threat.
“On further investigation, they determined that the improper use of the system was the root cause and secured from the active-shooter response,” the Navy said.
The event was reminiscent of a false missile alert sent out to Hawaii residents in January. The alert incorrectly stated there was an incoming missile.