HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) – Two 911 calls and a tweet about the possibility of an active shooter at a military installation set off a day of panic and confusion in Alabama.
The emergency calls Tuesday came from within the Redstone Arsenal base near Huntsville and led the installation to tweet a warning to its 30,000 government employees, civilians and contractors: “run hide fight.”
Police cars with flashing lights rushed to the scene and blocked entrances to the post, home to Army missile defense programs, NASA’s rocket propulsion operations and federal law enforcement agencies. Even before any gunfire was confirmed, the governor offered her prayers and social media lit up with worried friends and families talking about the lockdown.
At one point, Redstone spokesman Christopher Colster acknowledged he didn’t know whether the lockdown was part of a drill or an actual threat.
In the end, an investigation found there was no active shooter and no shots were fired, garrison commander Col. Tom Holliday said. He said authorities would continue to investigate what happened, including whether the 911 calls were part of a hoax.