Police officer stabbed to death, suspect killed after gunshots reported at Pentagon transit hub

A police officer was fatally stabbed and the suspect killed Tuesday after shots were fired at the Pentagon’s public transit hub, authorities said.

The Pentagon was locked down for more than an hour following the bloodshed.

The gunfire erupted about 10:40 a.m., with several casualties as a result, Pentagon Force Protection Agency Chief Woodrow Kusse said at a news conference. He didn’t specify a number or the extent of their injuries.

The Arlington County Fire Department reported “multiple patients,” though the extent and nature of the injuries weren’t disclosed.

According to The Associated Press, the slain officer was from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency but the connection of the officer’s employment to the shooting and fatal stabbing wasn’t immediately clear. The suspect was shot by police and died at the scene.

One witness told The Washington Post that they saw two bodies on the ground in front of a bus after hearing what sounded like gunshots. Responders performed CPR on both people. Three people were eventually taken away in ambulances, the witness said.

Kusse said the FBI is investigating the incident, and that there were no additional suspects.

A police officer looks at a vehicle outside the Pentagon on Tuesday. (Andrew Harnik/)

The incident occurred at the Pentagon’s bus station that drops off passengers steps from the entrance of the Arlington, Va., building.

An AP reporter near the building heard multiple gunshots, then a pause, then at least one additional shot. Another AP journalist heard police yelling, “Shooter.”

Police are seen at the Pentagon Metro area, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021 at the Pentagon in Washington. Gunshots were fired Tuesday morning near the entrance of the Pentagon, resulting in multiple injuries. The facility, the headquarters of the U.S. military, was placed on lockdown. The Arlington County Fire Department reported "multiple patients," but it wasn't immediately clear if they had been shot or the extent of the injuries. (Andrew Harnik/)

Pentagon police lifted the lockdown about 12:15 p.m., but a Metro commuter train station remained closed.

“The scene of the incident is secure. It is still an active crime scene,” the Pentagon police agency said.

It’s not the first time Pentagon police responded to violence. In 2010, two Pentagon police officers were wounded after a gunman approached them at a security screening area and opened fire. The officers, who survived, returned fire, killing the shooter.

With News Wire Services