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Gunman report sparks Nasa alert | Gunman report sparks Nasa alert |
(10 minutes later) | |
The US space agency, Nasa, has evacuated a building at the Johnson Space Center in Houston after reports that a gunman had been seen. | The US space agency, Nasa, has evacuated a building at the Johnson Space Center in Houston after reports that a gunman had been seen. |
A Houston police spokesman said the building was sealed off and that they believed a white male suspect, aged between 50 and 60, was in the building. | A Houston police spokesman said the building was sealed off and that they believed a white male suspect, aged between 50 and 60, was in the building. |
Capt Dwayne Ready said a Nasa employee had seen a man with a gun and two shots were fired. | Capt Dwayne Ready said a Nasa employee had seen a man with a gun and two shots were fired. |
He said no communication had been made with the suspect. | He said no communication had been made with the suspect. |
Police were called to the scene, an engineering office known as Building 44, at about 1340 (1840 GMT). | Police were called to the scene, an engineering office known as Building 44, at about 1340 (1840 GMT). |
A Nasa contractor, Jacobs Engineering, has told the BBC that one of its employees is involved in the incident. | A Nasa contractor, Jacobs Engineering, has told the BBC that one of its employees is involved in the incident. |
The company said it was co-operating with police. | The company said it was co-operating with police. |
School secured | School secured |
The Houston police department told the BBC they had sent a helicopter, a canine unit and a special weapons team to the space centre. | The Houston police department told the BBC they had sent a helicopter, a canine unit and a special weapons team to the space centre. |
Building 44 houses communications equipment and engineering laboratories. | Building 44 houses communications equipment and engineering laboratories. |
The Johnson Space Center contains Nasa's mission control which oversees the agency's space flights. | The Johnson Space Center contains Nasa's mission control which oversees the agency's space flights. |
The centre's staff, numbering several thousand across the sprawling complex, were initially told to remain in their buildings but after several hours were allowed to leave the complex. | The centre's staff, numbering several thousand across the sprawling complex, were initially told to remain in their buildings but after several hours were allowed to leave the complex. |
An intermediate school near the building was also secured for several hours. | An intermediate school near the building was also secured for several hours. |
The alert comes less than a week after a gunman killed 32 students and teaching staff at Virginia Tech university before killing himself. | The alert comes less than a week after a gunman killed 32 students and teaching staff at Virginia Tech university before killing himself. |
The BBC's Adam Brookes in Washington says there has been a rash of security alerts across the US, which is also marking the eighth anniversary of the Columbine school massacre in which 15 people died. | The BBC's Adam Brookes in Washington says there has been a rash of security alerts across the US, which is also marking the eighth anniversary of the Columbine school massacre in which 15 people died. |
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