USA Today‘s headquarters in Virginia was reportedly evacuated today after reports of a gunman on the property and a possible shooting. Fairfax County Police confirmed that they responded to reports of a gunman at the Gannett Building in McLean. A witness posted a short clip of the evacuation on Twitter:
Police evacuating @USATODAY HQ in tysons corner pic.twitter.com/2aae7g4Co0
— William Dyer (@wdyerz) August 7, 2019
Despite the evacuation of its headquarters, USA Today was quick to release an article on the incident. Police presence on the scene was heavy after authorities responded to a report of a gunman. Alarms went off inside the building as ambulances, firetrucks and police cars swarmed the scene. Officers armed with rifles and wearing body armor patrolled the area while a helicopter overlooked the scene.
The USA Today headquarters building houses non-newspaper offices, offices of parent company Gannett Co., and offices for some other businesses. Fairfax County Police haven’t released any additional updates about the incident yet, but they are advising people to avoid the area.
It’s unclear whether any shots were fired or if police were actually able to locate a gunman. However, employees who work in the building reported hearing a public announcement on the loudspeaker regarding some sort of incident inside. A law enforcement source reportedly told the Daily Mail that they aren’t treating the scene at the headquarters building as an active shooter incident.
Fairfax County Police just tweeted that they are investigating the incident right now and still clearing the building. Authorities did not find any evidence of “violence or injuries.”
UPDATE: We are working to investigate this reported threat. Officers are currently working to clear the building. At this time, we have found no evidence of any acts of violence or injuries. #FCPD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/CbCfsO2etj
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) August 7, 2019
