Man dies by suicide outside Lockheed Martin plant near Texas’ Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base

A man fatally shot himself early Thursday outside the main entry gate of the Lockheed Martin plant in Texas, triggering a brief lockdown and explosives investigation.

Authorities responded to the aerospace company building, located in northwest Fort Worth, near the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, around 5:35 a.m., according to the Forth Worth Star-Telegram. Police Chief Christopher Cook told reporters that responding officers discovered a man in his 60s already dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Before their arrival, the man appeared to be “in distress” as he tried to gain entry into facility before he was ultimately confronted by security. Cook noted the man was armed with a shotgun, which he ultimately used to take his own life.

He has not been identified.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in White Settlement, Texas.

“We’re looking into the possibility that he may be an employee or prior employee,” Cook said. “We’re working with Lockheed... really we’ll get to answer that question when we get his actual identity.”

As a result of the early-morning chaos, police closed off the front gate and rerouted employees trying to enter the facility and begin their workdays.

Authorities were quick to declare that the incident was not an active shooter situation, but opted to lockdown the area to further investigate a “suspicious device,” in the suspect’s vehicle. Cook said that police later expanded their lock down zone “based upon comments the suspect made prior to the shooting.”

The man reportedly told security he was looking for a federal office and wanted to talk to the FBI, which guards interpreted to be a potential security threat, Cook said. He also noted that some wires were coming from the man’s truck and “wanted to be 100% safe that there were no devices” inside.

No explosives were found during an x-ray of the vehicle and a briefcase inside.

“This situation and incident has been rendered safe,” authorities announced in a tweet by midday Thursday. “@fortworthpd. Bomb Technicians have determined no explosive devices inside the suspect vehicle.”

The front gate to facility was reopened about two hours after the initial response.