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SAPD And JBSA-Lackland End Inquiry Into Reports Of Shots Fired At Base

Lt. Col. Brian Loveless with the 802nd Security Forces Squadron
Joey Palacios
/
TPR
Lt. Col. Brian Loveless with the 802nd Security Forces Squadron

San Antonio police officials said that reports of possible shots fired outside of JBSA Lackland last week were not credible.

The base went into lockdown for about three hours on Wednesday after reports that shots were fired off-base and aimed at the installation. No injuries were reported.

According to an SAPD statement sent to KSAT over the weekend, details of the incident were “vague and sparse."

SAPD said they weren't able to find any evidence or any victims and that all the people they spoke with were unaware of gunshots in the area. The person who first reported the incident to military personnel was unknown and could not be located or contacted.

SAPD's update followed a statement from JBSA-Lackland's own investigators on Friday evening, in which they announced the end of their inquiry into the incident.

"The base went into lockdown June 9 after the JBSA-Lackland Base Defense Operations Center received numerous reports with conflicting information about potential shots fired near the perimeter of the base at approximately 12:15 p.m.," it explained.

The statement added: "The JBSA Crisis Action Team and Emergency Operations Center were activated, and JBSA emergency responders worked with San Antonio Police Department, the Department of Public Safety and Bexar County law enforcement to search for possible shooters and clear the area. An all-clear was declared at 3 p.m. June 9."

Personnel at Lackland initially were told to take cover and follow lockdown protocols starting shortly after noon. A statement from the base said that two suspects fired into an area where trainees were and then fled on foot. But base officials later said that they couldn't locate a crime scene or confirm what happened.

Later in the day, Lt. Col. Brian Loveless with the 802nd Security Forces Squadron said he received reports that two gunshots were fired into the installation.

“There’s a lot of facilities on this installation that are important to the Air Force," Loveless added, "and we have to take every report seriously. Now I would rather overreact to something than underreact and get it right. We can triage whether or not we responded appropriately later on.”

TPR's Joey Palacios reports from the scene

A statement from JBSA-Lackland initially said the suspected shooting happened near the Valley Hi gate.

"Suspected two shooters from off base fired shots towards JBSA-Lackland. There were trainees in the area and the shooters fled the scene on foot," the statement said. "JBSA emergency responders are working with the San Antonio Police Department to clear the area and search for the shooters," it added.

By 3:15 p.m., the all clear message was tweeted, and traffic moved again through the base gates.

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