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| Chaos at Washington navy yard as shots ring out over breakfast | Chaos at Washington navy yard as shots ring out over breakfast |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Many of the 3,000 people who work at the Washington naval yard had just arrived for work when the shooting started. | Many of the 3,000 people who work at the Washington naval yard had just arrived for work when the shooting started. |
| Some, like Patricia Ward, a 53-year-old logistics specialist, were in the basement cafeteria of building 197 just after 8am, mingling with co-workers and getting breakfast. | Some, like Patricia Ward, a 53-year-old logistics specialist, were in the basement cafeteria of building 197 just after 8am, mingling with co-workers and getting breakfast. |
| "I heard the first three shots: 'pow, pow, pow'," Ward told the Guardian. "A few seconds later: 'pop, pop, pop, pop' – four more shots. And then everyone in the cafeteria just started running." | "I heard the first three shots: 'pow, pow, pow'," Ward told the Guardian. "A few seconds later: 'pop, pop, pop, pop' – four more shots. And then everyone in the cafeteria just started running." |
| Moments later, Ward and other staff from the compound, wearing their security passes needed to access the base, were streaming out of the gates and along M Street. | Moments later, Ward and other staff from the compound, wearing their security passes needed to access the base, were streaming out of the gates and along M Street. |
| Ward recalled seeing a heavily pregnant woman, and another co-worker who "looked like she was having a heart attack". "People were just flying out of the office. There was probably 20 or 30 people just running." | Ward recalled seeing a heavily pregnant woman, and another co-worker who "looked like she was having a heart attack". "People were just flying out of the office. There was probably 20 or 30 people just running." |
| Heading in the opposite direction, toward building 197, were "active shooter teams" – armed officers from Washington's Metropolitan police department and the park police, who were on patrol and in the area. | Heading in the opposite direction, toward building 197, were "active shooter teams" – armed officers from Washington's Metropolitan police department and the park police, who were on patrol and in the area. |
| They were on the scene seven minutes after the first emergency calls were made at 8.15am. | They were on the scene seven minutes after the first emergency calls were made at 8.15am. |
| The navy base's security had already been involved in an exchange of fire with the suspected gunman, named by the FBI as Aaron Alexis, a 34-year-old who served in the navy between 2007 and 2011. | The navy base's security had already been involved in an exchange of fire with the suspected gunman, named by the FBI as Aaron Alexis, a 34-year-old who served in the navy between 2007 and 2011. |
| Alexis, whose home was listed as New York City, was a navy aviation electrician's mate third class. He previously lived in Fort Worth, Texas, where he was arrested in 2010 over a firearm offense. | Alexis, whose home was listed as New York City, was a navy aviation electrician's mate third class. He previously lived in Fort Worth, Texas, where he was arrested in 2010 over a firearm offense. |
| Authorities they were still searching for a second gunman – identified as a black male with grey sideburns wearing olive-coloured military outfit – in order to "rule in or rule out" his involvement. A third man police initially described as a suspected was located and deemed not to be of interest. | Authorities they were still searching for a second gunman – identified as a black male with grey sideburns wearing olive-coloured military outfit – in order to "rule in or rule out" his involvement. A third man police initially described as a suspected was located and deemed not to be of interest. |
| One person in the building, Terrie Durham, said she saw a gunman with a rifle in a corridor. "We noticed him down the hall, and he stepped around the corner and we heard shots," she told WJLA TV. | One person in the building, Terrie Durham, said she saw a gunman with a rifle in a corridor. "We noticed him down the hall, and he stepped around the corner and we heard shots," she told WJLA TV. |
| Todd Brundidge, a co-worker who was stood beside Durham, said a gunman then turned the gun on office workers. "We could see him with the rifle and he raised and aimed at us and fired," he said. | Todd Brundidge, a co-worker who was stood beside Durham, said a gunman then turned the gun on office workers. "We could see him with the rifle and he raised and aimed at us and fired," he said. |
| It was not clear whether the gunman – or gunmen – had a particular connection with the navy yard, which is several blocks from the US Capitol and nearby marine barracks. | It was not clear whether the gunman – or gunmen – had a particular connection with the navy yard, which is several blocks from the US Capitol and nearby marine barracks. |
| But the suggestion that the gunman was selecting victims at random in the navy yard appeared to be endorsed by another witness, navy commander Tim Jirus. He also heard shots, which initially sounded "far away and muffled". "It sounded to me like a cap gun," he said. | But the suggestion that the gunman was selecting victims at random in the navy yard appeared to be endorsed by another witness, navy commander Tim Jirus. He also heard shots, which initially sounded "far away and muffled". "It sounded to me like a cap gun," he said. |
| After helping evacuate some people, Jirus was standing in an alleyway, beside a fire escape, when he said he started talking to another man who had just emerged from a nearby maintenance building to say he could hear gunshots. | After helping evacuate some people, Jirus was standing in an alleyway, beside a fire escape, when he said he started talking to another man who had just emerged from a nearby maintenance building to say he could hear gunshots. |
| Seconds later, the man Jirus was talking to was himself shot in the head. | Seconds later, the man Jirus was talking to was himself shot in the head. |
| "We heard two shots and he went down," Jirus told CNN. "I feel lucky to be here." | "We heard two shots and he went down," Jirus told CNN. "I feel lucky to be here." |
| The yard is headquarters of the naval sea systems command (Navsea) and is the largest of the Navy's five system commands. | The yard is headquarters of the naval sea systems command (Navsea) and is the largest of the Navy's five system commands. |
| As police entered building 197, running through corridors and up staircases toward the fourth floor, where a gunman was reported to have barricaded himself in, they relayed a constant stream of what they were seeing to the MPD command centre, via radios. | As police entered building 197, running through corridors and up staircases toward the fourth floor, where a gunman was reported to have barricaded himself in, they relayed a constant stream of what they were seeing to the MPD command centre, via radios. |
| "There were multiple victims, there was gunfire going on," recounted Washington's police chief, Cathy Lanier. | "There were multiple victims, there was gunfire going on," recounted Washington's police chief, Cathy Lanier. |
| Law enforcement officials described what appears to have been a series of running gun fights which culminated in Alexis being shot dead. | Law enforcement officials described what appears to have been a series of running gun fights which culminated in Alexis being shot dead. |
| There was no question Alexis "would have kept shooting" had he not been killed by police, Lanier said. | There was no question Alexis "would have kept shooting" had he not been killed by police, Lanier said. |
| It was not until 4pm that police could give a complete tally of the victims. The city's mayor, Vincent Gray, said there were thirteen deaths, including Alexis, plus "more than a dozen" injured, although they did not all receive gunshot wounds. | It was not until 4pm that police could give a complete tally of the victims. The city's mayor, Vincent Gray, said there were thirteen deaths, including Alexis, plus "more than a dozen" injured, although they did not all receive gunshot wounds. |
| "We all know this is a horrific tragedy," Gray said. "I don't know if we have ever seen anything like this in the city." | "We all know this is a horrific tragedy," Gray said. "I don't know if we have ever seen anything like this in the city." |
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