Attack At The Navy Yard

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The nation's capital went on high alert Monday after a shooting attack at the city's U.S. Navy Yard left at least 12 victims and one gunman dead and injured 8 others.

Police said one suspected shooter was dead at the scene, but they were keeping the Yard on lockdown because they were still searching for a person of interest who was seen wearing a drab olive uniform.

Authorities identified the dead suspect as Aaron Alexis, a 34-year-old man from New York, who the Pentagon says was a full-time Navy reservist from May of 2007 through January of 2011.

NPR's Carrie Johnson reports that law enforcement officials believe Alexis gained access to the secure military facility by using the ID of "a 50-odd year-old African American man who was recently dismissed from his job at the Navy Yard."

Alexis, however, was also working as for an IT company that was upgrading the Navy's computer system.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said it's still unclear how Alexis died, but she said he was involved in gun battles with active shooter teams inside building 197 of the Washington Navy Yard.

Lanier said police had "multiple engagements with the suspect" and it was after one of those that Alexis was found dead.

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said authorities did not suspect terrorism, but the motive for the shooting was still a mystery.

The attack was, President Obama told the nation, a "cowardly act ... [on] men and women who were going to work, doing their jobs, protecting all of us."

"They were patriots," he said of the victims.

At first police officials said that there were two other "potential" shooters they were looking for. Other law enforcement sources, though, cautioned that in the confusion some first responders might have been mistaken for additional attackers.

And just before 2:45 p.m. ET., D.C. Police announced that one of the potential other gunmen — "the white male in the tan outfit" — had been "identified and is not a suspect or person of interest."

The incident began around 8:20 a.m. ET when shots were fired around a building on the grounds of the facility in Southeast D.C., the Navy confirmed just minutes later.

Initially, there was word that only a few people had been injured and that only one gunman was responsible. Among those hurt, according to reports from emergency personnel, was a police officer who was struck at least twice.

But at 10:04 a.m. ET, the Navy added that there had been "reports of fatalities." Federal law enforcement sources told NPR a short time later that there had been "multiple fatalities."

Then as morning turned to afternoon, the death toll turned grim, when authorities said 12 victims were dead, not including the gunman.

We're updating as more news comes in. Our colleagues at WAMU are following the story here. As happens when news such as this is breaking, there will be conflicting accounts. We'll focus on information from authorities in a position to know what's going on and from news outlets with reporters at or near the scene. If things change, we'll pass along that information.