Travis Air Force Base Took Active Shooter Report Seriously, Leading To Lockdown

FAIRFIELD (CBS13) — People on Travis Air Force base are all OK after an active shooter report turned out to be false. Travis Air Force base gates reopened after the report led to a lockdown and shelter in place order on Wednesday afternoon.

Aerial pictures show the initial response by Air Force police near a base shopping center, where the search for a suspected gunman started.

After an hour-and-a-half search, Travis Air Force Base personnel determined the report of an active shooter was false.

"In an incident like this, we do not question those inputs. We simply respond to ensure the safety of our personnel and everyone visiting on base," Air Force Col. John Klein said.

Klein says the report came from someone who called security saying they heard a single gunshot. The call came at the end of the first day of a multi-day security drill on base and on the heels of the shooting in Virginia targeting Congress members.

"All we know is that we think it was derived from a heightened sense of awareness," Klein said. "Based on number one, the exercise, and potentially some of the incidents that have happened around the country."

People locked down on base were finally allowed to leave. One woman was unsure whether the false report was part of the base's security drill.

"They were very clear over the announcements that it was real...and now coming out of it, we're not quite sure," she said.

It was the report of a gunshot leading to a lockdown and shelter in place.

"And were thankful for the fact that that was a false report," Klein said.

After the scare came relief that there was no shooter.