Backfiring Vehicle May Have Caused ‘Code Red’ Lockdown At Marine Base Near DC

A backfiring car may have sparked a scare that put the Marine Corps Base at Quantico (MCBQ) on full lockdown Thursday, according to a statement.

MCBQ issued an “All Clear” notice after being under “Code Red” lockdown for about one and a half hours Thursday afternoon. Base security received reports of five shots fired at 12:35 p.m. Thursday, but law enforcement that arrived on the scene minutes later found no injuries or traces of bullet fire, according to a statement put out by MCBQ communications office after the event.

“After securing the area, speaking to witnesses and investigating the scene, it was determined that the reports were based on a possible vehicle backfire,” the statement said.

The base posted a shelter-in-place advisory at around 1:20 ET, advising all personnel to shelter in place while law enforcement carried out unspecified operations, social media posts on the MCBQ account show. All traffic going in and out of the base was temporarily shut down and only mission-essential personnel were allowed to work as police investigated a situation around Lyman Park, according to tweets.

“As of 2:30pm Marine Corps Base Quantico is All Clear. The base operating status is Code Green. A statement with details will follow shortly,” MCBQ said in a statement.

An “all clear” order was apparently issued about an hour prior by accident and rescinded, according to a tweet.

Lyman Park hosts housing for on-base personnel.

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