On Thursday morning, two shootings took place in Chattanooga, one at the Naval Reserve Building and one at the Army Recruiting Center, said Navy officials.
At least four marines and one Chattanooga police officer were shot in the incident, which began at 11:00 a.m., WRCBtv reports. All four marines have since been declared dead. Blood is being rushed to the hospital where the officer is currently staying. The second attack hit the Army Recruiting Center, which is located on Lee Highway. This area is reportedly a gun-free zone.
The gunman died in an ensuing shootout with police. The situation concluded at approximately 1:15 p.m. ET after a search kicked off for the gunman earlier in the morning. An official told ABC News that as of right now, there’s been no indication that the incident has anything to do with terrorism.
Both the FBI and ATF are on their way to the scene.
At the time of the shooting, Carolyn Taylor, who works at Binswanger Glass, said she heard what seemed to be around 100 rounds and stated she thought several people were shooting. According to other witnesses, the gunfire continued for 20 minutes. The shooting did not occur in just one location, but was spread out over several areas. Officials think a shooting may have occurred at a nearby recruiting building, as well.
“This is a very, very terrible situation,” Andy Berke, the city’s mayor stated, according to Fox News. “I’m very concerned about what’s going on. We need to figure out how to handle it.” Nearby facilities like the Chattannooga State Community College and Erlanger Hospital are on lockdown. Victims are being sent over to Erlanger for treatment.
“I am deeply disturbed by reports of a violent attack in Chattanooga,” Sen. Lamar Alexander told WRCBtv. “I have been in touch with federal, state and local officials and will monitor the situation closely. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved.”
A news conference is expected at 2:00 p.m. with more details from city officials.
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