Shooter kills 4 at Washington Navy Yard

7:45 a.m. PDT

A Defense Department official says at least four people have been killed and as

many as 10 have been wounded in a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard.

The

official spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the official was not

authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The official also says the

shooter is “contained” but not yet in custody.

Earlier in the day, the U.S.

Navy said it was searching for an active shooter at the Naval Sea Systems

Command headquarters, where about 3,000 people work. The exact number of

people killed and the conditions of those wounded was not immediately known.

A defense official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of

anonymity because he was not authorized to speak during an active attack,

also said there were at least several injuries.

The Navy said shots were

fired around 8:20 am (local time) at the Naval Sea Systems Command

headquarters, where about 3,000 people work. The number of the victims and

their conditions was not immediately known, though the Navy said multiple

people had been injured. Police and federal agents from multiple law

enforcement agencies responded to the scene.

Ambulances were parked outside,

streets in the area were closed and flights at Reagan National Airport were

temporarily halted. A U.S. Park Police helicopter hovered over the building

and appeared to drop a basket or a stretcher with a person onto the roof.

Naval Sea Systems Command is the largest of the Navy’s five system commands

and accounts for a quarter of the Navy’s entire budget.

It builds, buys and maintains the Navy’s ships and submarines and their combat systems.