On the morning of Thursday, September 26, 2024, at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) in Portsmouth, Virginia, an active shooter alarm was set out, resulting in an instant lockdown of the whole facility. This caused a wave of panic and bewilderment.
Thousands of workers, military personnel, and civilians braced for what might have been a devastating incident as alarms boomed throughout the shipyard. Law officials, however, quickly and thoroughly investigated the matter and determined that the initial allegations were untrue, stating that an active shooter was not present despite the discovery of a gun inside a vehicle. Soon after the lockdown was removed, regular business as usual was restored. However, even in one of the country’s most secure naval bases, the moments of uncertainty brought home to many the true anxiety that exists in today’s world due to such threats.
The First Alert: Pandemonium at NNSY
At one of the biggest and oldest shipyards in the country, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, where tens of thousands of civilian and military employees labor on crucial ship maintenance and repair projects, it started like any other day. NNSY is an essential part of the nation’s defense because it is a major station for the U.S. Navy and is in charge of maintaining and refurbishing nuclear-powered submarines and other vessels.
But the day’s routine was upended at around 9:30 a.m. when the shipyard’s public address system began to blare an emergency alarm system. The cry, “Lockdown, lockdown, lockdown!” echoed throughout the vast shipyard, instantly creating a sense of urgency. There were reports of an active shooter on the property, so staff were advised to lock doors, stay indoors, and adhere to emergency procedures.