Active shooter report at Ohio Air Force Base part of training drill

DAYTON, Ohio -- An all-clear has been given after federal and state authorities in armored vehicles and unmarked cars swarmed onto an Air Force base in Ohio on Thursday amid reports of an active shooter at a medical center.

The lockdown and evacuation were part of a routine training drill. There was not an active shooter, authorities now say.

Workers at Wright-Patterson were told to shelter in place on the sprawling base.

Video from outside of the hospital showed service members and others standing outside the building about two hours after the base said emergency workers responded to reports of active shooter. WHIO-TV reported that an announcement was made telling some people to leave the building with their hands on their heads.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said via Twitter it was among several agencies.

Stacey Geiger, with the base's public affairs office, said the base was on lockdown but she had no other information to release.

Local police were directing traffic away from the base, which is Ohio's largest single-site employer with more than 27,000 civilian employees and military personnel.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol and local police also had officers at the base.

The base was the site where the Dayton Peace Accords were finalized in 1995, an international peace agreement that ended the war in Bosnia.

Wright-Patterson AFB released this statement Thursday afternoon:

"At approximately 12:40 p.m., base emergency responders (security forces, fire department) responded to a reported Active Shooter at the Wright-Patterson Medical center. This reported incident occurred during a normal, scheduled installation exercise which included an Active Shooter scenario at separate location in Area A.

Upon investigation, it was determined that the incident at the MTF was not an actual Active Shooter incident.

An unknown individual called 911 believing that there was a real-world incident occurring within the base hospital. As a result, security forces responded to the scene and began a systematic sweep and clearing of the entire hospital. In an attempt to breech a door that was locked, a security forces member discharged his firearm to open the door and continue the sweep of the facility. The scene has been declared safe and all personnel have been advised to avoid the base hospital area for the time being.

Our base first responders are trained to quickly assess situations and take necessary action. They responded with the level of professionalism and urgency required. We appreciate the outstanding response and support of our local and state law enforcement agencies from across the Miami Valley that responded to the scene to assist."

This incident at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is not dissimilar to what happened at Waubonsie Community College in April, 2017. In that incident, an emergency exercise at the Sugar Grove, Illinois college that included an active shooter report phones to Kane County 911, prompting a fast and sizable actual emergency response when there was no active shooter

ABC7 Chicago contributed to this report.