The U.S. Navy confirmed that there was a false alarm at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center this afternoon amid reports that an active shooter might be on the loose. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) tweeted that he was sheltering in place after being ushered into a conference room with 40 others at the Bethesda, Md., campus.
“This was not a drill,” Jeremy Brooks, a Naval Support Activity Bethesda public affairs officer, told HSToday. “It was a false alarm. Somebody reported what they thought was a situation, so they did what they were supposed to do, and our security forces responded, and they did what they were supposed to do. And once they were able to clear the area and there was a determination that there was no threat, they made the all-clear.”
The U.S. Navy incorrectly tweeted that the incident was an ad hoc drill.
CONFIRMED: No active shooter at Naval Support Activity Bethesda. Was ad hoc drill by tenant command. https://t.co/P9N65mMdOA
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) November 27, 2018
Ruppersberger was at the hospital on personal business, and his tweets were published in stories about the alert by the Washington Post, ABC News, The Baltimore Sun, CBS Baltimore and many others.
“Drills are important, but we need to make sure people are aware that this was a drill,” Jaime Lennon, Ruppersberger’s spokeswoman, told HSToday. “At no point was Congressman Ruppersberger aware that this was a training exercise.”
I am currently at Walter Reed Medical in Bethesda where we've been told there is an active shooter. I am currently safe in a conference room w/ approx 40 others.
— Dutch Ruppersberger (@Call_Me_Dutch) November 27, 2018
Rep. Ruppersberger remains sheltered in a back room at Walter Reed. Described mood as calm. Has not been given any additional details but does not believe this to be a drill.
— Dutch Ruppersberger (@Call_Me_Dutch) November 27, 2018
Montgomery County Police also responded as if there was a possible active shooter.
#BREAKING: Montgomery County Police say they are responding to report of a possible active shooter at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Naval Support Activity Bethesda says no indication so far of active shooter https://t.co/duGBf1GKPd pic.twitter.com/OKH423J2cx
— 7News DC (@7NewsDC) November 27, 2018
Naval Support Activity Bethesda later tweeted that it was a false alarm and not part of a scheduled drill.
Security responded and cleared the building, finding no indication of an active shooter.
After investigating the call and the origin, NSA Bethesda has determined that this was a false alarm and not part of a scheduled drill as has been reported.
2/2
— Naval Support Activity Bethesda (@nsabethesda) November 27, 2018
According to a study in the journal Science, false news on social media spreads faster than real news.
On Twitter between 2006 and 2017, “about 126,000 rumors were spread by 3 million people,” said the study. “False news reached more people than the truth; the top 1 percent of false news cascades diffused to between 1,000 and 100,000 people, whereas the truth rarely diffused to more than 1,000 people.”
