Pentagon press secretary: US 'not walking away from relationship' with Afghanistan
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby discusses Biden's plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by September
A Pentagon police officer was killed in a "shooting event" attack outside the Defense Department headquarters Tuesday morning, a defense official confirmed to Fox News.
The building went into lockdown on Tuesday morning after a shooting occurred near a platform by the facility’s Pentagon Metro station. According to the police, all of the entrances to the Pentagon have now been secured.
The Arlington Fire Department had confirmed to Fox News that there were multiple people down at the site of the shooting, but wouldn't comment on their conditions as the scene was still active at the time.
Department of Defense employees received an electronic warning on their computers and an overhead announcement was given for all Pentagon personnel to stay inside due to the police activity and to not venture outside.
The D.C. Metro Twitter account confirmed the police presence at the Pentagon, saying trains would be "temporarily bypassing" the Pentagon stop.
The Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) also confirmed the shooting incident on their official Twitter account.
"The Pentagon currently is on lock down due to an incident at the Pentagon Transit Center. We are asking the public to please avoid the area," the PFPA tweeted on Tuesday. "More information will be forthcoming."
An Associated Press reporter near the building reportedly heard multiple gun shots.
At 11:57 a.m. EDT, the PFPA announced in a tweet that the scene was "secure" but "still an active crime scene," requesting "that everyone stay away from the Metro rail entrance and bus platform area" and noting that transportation "at the Pentagon is diverted to Pentagon City."
As of 12:12 p.m., the lockdown at the Pentagon was lifted via a loudspeaker announcement, however, the Metro station, bus stop and one of the Pentagon exits remain closed.
In a Tuesday statement to Fox News, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been informed of the incident.
Neither Austin nor Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley were present at the Pentagon during the shooting. Both were with President Biden at their weekly Tuesday meeting at the White House.
"The secretary has been fully briefed. He has been updated regularly," Kirby said. "He was not in the building at the time of the incident."
A Pentagon police officer was involved in the shooting, according to a Department of Defense official. Multiple shots were fired, but it unclear by whom and it wasn't immediately clear what happened or what kind of weapon the suspect had.
The police officer has not yet been identified.
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This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Fox News' Lucas Thomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Houston Keene is a reporter for Fox News Digital. You can find him on Twitter at @HoustonKeene