This story has been updated.
The USA Today building in McLean, Virginia, was evacuated Wednesday after local police responded to a report of a man with a weapon. There was “no evidence of any acts of violence or injuries,” the Fairfax County Police said on Twitter.
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
Fairfax County police chief Edwin Roessler told reporters that his department had received a 911 call from the Gannett building (Gannett owns USA Today) about a “former employee” who was allegedly seen with a weapon.
Roessler wouldn’t confirm whether the person was a former Gannett employee, only that they used to work at the building.
According to a report by USA Today journalist Tom Vanden Brook, “hundreds” of office workers evacuated the building amid a “heavy police presence.” The paper reported that a loudspeaker announcement said the incident was inside the building.
The Fairfax County police tweeted an alert earlier warning people to “avoid the area.”
A USA Today staffer posted a photo on Twitter of a SWAT team officer on the scene:
SWAT teams evacuation at @USATODAY HQ in Tysons pic.twitter.com/dCh6d160Uv
— William Dyer (@wdyerz) August 7, 2019
USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page told MSNBC that employees and visitors have to go through a security checkpoint to get into the building and either provide a building pass or check in with the guard.
The situation comes days after a round of mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio over the weekend that left 31 people dead.
This is unsustainable. If Trump is not subjected to the Rule of Law, he will further damage the fabric of this country.
A free people cannot live under armed threat.
No doubt another True American taking his Kampf to the den that breeds the Enemies of the People.
Trump’s America. He told us this place was a hellscape when he accepted the nomination, and he’s doing everything he can to bring it about.
Let’s hope he’s Amish. I need a new class of villian to fear, these garden variety bigots are starting to bore me.
Guy with a gun was likely upset with a USA Today pie chart that showed 98% of people like him really want to storm a building with a gun and shoot people because he’s mad.
The remaining 2% hope they’re the victims, because they’re really sick and tired of it all.