A person has been arrested in connection with what authorities are calling a hoax active shooter situation that locked down a joint base in New Jersey on Tuesday and sparked brief alarm within the community, officials say.
Hours after the incident at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced that a person had been taken into custody in the “active shooter hoax.”
Habba did not identify the individual, but said they were a “civilian employee of the federal government.” Details on charges weren’t immediately available.
“A civilian employee of the federal government is in custody for conveying false information regarding an active shooter at Joint Base McGuire,” Habba said. “This kind of senseless fear-mongering and disruption will not be tolerated in my state.”
It wasn’t clear what time the report came in about the possible shooter at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. In a Facebook post, military officials advised anyone outside to take cover and told those inside to remain there.
The lockdown was lifted after the active shooter report was determined to be unfounded.
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is less than 20 miles southeast of Trenton. It’s one of the largest military installations in the country, with more than 42,000 active-duty service members, civilians and family members.