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05 March 2010

NEWS: Shooting at the Pentagon

There's been a shooting at the Pentagon. While we track down the details, we can start with the fact that the shooter died.

The D.C. Medical Examiner's Office says the alleged shooter at the Pentagon has died.
Beverly Fields, chief of staff of the D.C. medical examiner's office, said the body of 36-year-old John Patrick Bedell arrived at the medical examiner's office shortly after midnight.
Bedell was shot by two Pentagon police officers after authorities say he drew a weapon from his pocket and opened fire at a security checkpoint into a Pentagon subway entrance.
The two police officers received bullet wounds but were not seriously hurt.



Some info from Sky News.

The officers were also taken to hospital but their "grazing" injuries were said not to be life-threatening.
The rush-hour shooting took place at a massively fortified building close to busy crowds of commuters.
The well-dressed gunman calmly walked up to a security checkpoint at 6.40pm (23.40 GMT) and opened fire, hitting the two officers from just five feet away.
They in turn fired back, wounding him.
Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and screams, while the five-sided headquarters of the US Defence Department went into temporary lockdown.


As NBC is reporting it on the TV right now, he apparently had 2 pistols, and about 25 magazines of ammo.


UPDATE 1

The police are reporting that there's no link to terrorism in this case.

A California man who was fatally shot after opening fire on security officers outside the Pentagon appears to have been acting alone, with no links to domestic or international terrorism, police said on Friday.
The gunman, identified by authorities as 36-year-old John Patrick Bedell, was apparently trying to gain entry to the giant U.S. Defense Department headquarters when he approached a security checkpoint and started shooting, police said.
He was shot in the head on Thursday evening near the main entrance to the building in a shootout with three security officers, two of whom received "superficial" bullet wounds and were treated and released from a local hospital, Pentagon police chief Richard Keevill told reporters.
"There is no indication at this point that there (is) any domestic or international terrorism nexus to this at all," Keevill said. "... There doesn't appear to be anyone else acting in concert with Mr. Bedell."
Keevill said authorities do not know Bedell's motives in the shooting, which occurred at the Pentagon entrance near a busy commuter rail station. But Keevill said authorities are looking into a series of Internet postings by a user identified as "JPatrickBedell" for clues.




UPDATE 2

The official Defense.gov News Release

A shooting incident has occurred at the Pentagon Metro Entrance this evening at approximately 6:40 p.m. EST. Two Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) officers were injured when an unknown suspect fired at them. The suspect was injured in return fire from the PFPA officers. Injuries to the two PFPA officers do not appear to be life threatening. A suspect is in custody and his condition is unknown. All three injured have been taken to a local hospital. All Pentagon entrances were secured for a brief time but have since been reopened with the exception of the Pentagon Metro entrance. The incident is under investigation. More details will be released when available.


There's a story out about possible motivations of the shooter.

More as it comes available.

By: Brant

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