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Redstone Arsenal: Alabama Military Base On Lockdown, Possible Active Shooter Emergency

By Tara Dodrill
Published on: 05:33 PST, Jun 27, 2017

Redstone Arsenal, a military base in northern Alabama near Huntsville, is on lockdown. A possible active shooter alert has prompted a complete base shutdown and an order to shelter in place and to “run hide fight,” to be issued by military officials.

The gates at Redstone Arsenal have been closed, and the FBI is reportedly on the way to the Alabama military base. Armed law enforcement personnel have been spotted rushing onto the Huntsville area base, according to images shared on social media.

Christopher Colster, a Redstone Arsenal spokesman, told local reporters a gunman is possibly inside a building on the military base, according to MSN. No casualties have yet been reported.

The possible armed man may be inside Building 5301 on the second floor. The building is used as the missile and aviation command building at the Sparkman Center on the military base.

The Alabama military post representative also stated a safety drill was scheduled for Wednesday and emphasized the active shooter alert is not a part of any such exercise.

“If you are not in the Sparkman Center, stay away from the area. This is an initial report, 911 has been called, more to follow,” an email sent from Redstone Arsenal to personnel said, according to a CNN breaking news report.

Huntsville Emergency Medical Services have been sent to the Alabama military base, according to dispatcher Kristin Clark. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is receiving updates about the possible active shooter at Redstone Arsenal. Ivey posted a tweet stating she is closely monitoring the evolving situation and is praying for both a “peaceful and quick resolution” to the incident.

Redstone Arsenal has been at the center of the United States Army’s rocket and missile programs for five decades, according to ArmyBases.org.

The base includes the Army Aviation and Missile Command, the Space and Missile Defense Command, multiple units of the Missile Defense Agency and the Defense Intelligence Command, as well as the Program Executive Offices and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Explosive ordinance training is also conducted at the Alabama military post.

The Alabama military base is located in the Tennessee Valley. It includes dedicated areas for outdoor pursuits like fishing, biking, water skiing, boating, and hiking. Redstone Arsenal encompasses about 38,000 acres and includes approximately 11.7 million square feet of building space.

[Featured Image by Mccallk69/Shutterstock]

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