For the second time over five days, a report of a shooting Monday paralyzed a Washington-area military installation, drew swarms of police, and had workers locked down and sheltering in place for hours.

This time, it was on the campus of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, specifically at its iconic tower building, designed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s.

The report of a gunshot came about 10:48 a.m., police said, from one of the lower floors of the tower, known as Building 1.

The campus went into lockdown, and staff members were told to find shelter where they were, officials said.

Police and military security officers rushed to the site, and with help of bomb-sniffing dogs, began scouring the building floor by floor and room by room, evacuating personnel as they went.





Traffic quickly snarled in the area, and unconfirmed reports of an “active shooter” popped up on online.

Similar scenes played out Thursday when the Washington Navy Yard was locked down after a report of gunfire there.

[Loud boom prompts panic and massive response at Navy Yard]

Hundreds of security officers swarmed over the base in Southeast Washington, where a gunman killed 12 people on Sept. 16, 2013. Last week’s report turned out to be unfounded.

The medical center is located at 8901 Rockville Pike in Bethesda. It covers 243 acres and has 274 beds and a staff of 7,000 people. It was formed in 2011 after the consolidation of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center.

The tower, designed for the old Bethesda Naval Hospital, was inspired by the Nebraska state capitol, which Roosevelt had admired during a visit in 1936, according to the National Archives. Roosevelt also picked Bethesda as the site for the hospital.

By 11:45 a.m., a local law enforcement official said that no shooter or victims had been located in the building, and police reiterated that about 1 p.m.

1 of 6 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × The scene at Walter Reed after report of a gunshot View Photos Police and security officers investigate a report of a gunshot heard on the campus of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda. Caption Police and security officers received a report of a gunshot on the campus of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda. July 6, 2015 A SWAT team member runs onto the campus of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, as police investigate a report of a gunshot in Bethesda. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

“At this time, there’s been no injuries reported, no indication, no evidence of any kind, except for the initial call, that there was a shooting here,” Lt. Paul Starks, a Montgomery County police spokesman said.

Shortly after noon, the U.S. Navy tweeted that security officers were searching buildings and that there was no confirmation of an incident.

The Navy added in a statement: “Naval Support Activity Bethesda is currently in lockdown and all base personnel are sheltering in place as a result of unconfirmed reports of an active shooter. DOD Security Force, [National Institutes of Health] Police Force and County EMS and Medics have responded and are searching the area. More information to follow.”

By 1:30 p.m., police said that the search of the high-rise building was complete and that no evidence of a shooting had been found.

The campus, which was locked down for several hours, gradually resumed some operations Monday afternoon, but the hospital said it was closed for the day, except for emergency and in-patient services.

Shortly before 2 p.m. county police tweeted, “Police operations are complete.”