CINCINNATI — Wright State University advised its campus community to stay away from areas near the north end of campus late Thursday as emergency personnel respond to reports of an active shooter at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
“Wright State Police have become aware of multiple reports that Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Police are responding to an active shooter incident on base and have initiated lock-down procedures,” the university said in a Facebook post on Thursday night.
Emergency personnel responded to a report of an active shooter at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center in Area A around 9:25 p.m., according to a Twitter post from the base.
“Security Forces are currently sweeping the building,” the base tweeted. “The base is on lockdown.”
As of 11:40 p.m., the base’s “Giant Voice” alert system was warning personnel to “take cover and remain in your offices until lockdown is heard.”
The base underwent active shooter training in August, according to its website. During that training, the base command center used Giant Voice to notify personnel that the entire installation was under lockdown.
“All of our military and civilian employees are trained to quickly assess the situation and take appropriate action,” the base said in a follow-up tweet at 10:57 p.m.
In 2018, an unknown individual called 911 believing an active shooter drill at the Wright-Patterson Medical Center was the real thing, prompting security forces to descend on the hospital building and sweep to clear the hospital.
The National Air and Space Intelligence Center, is the Department of Defense’s “primary source for foreign air and space threats,” the base’s website states. The center reports directly to the deputy chief of staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Cyber Effects Operations.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is located approximately 11 miles northeast of Dayton, Ohio. As the largest single-site employer in Ohio, it boasts an annual economic impact of $4.2 billion, with a workforce comprised of over 30,000, including military, civilians and contractors.
