'Active Shooter' Alert at Tesla's Texas Gigafactory Was 'Nothing': Police

Reports of an active shooter at Tesla's Texas Gigafactory that resulted in workers being evacuated from the building turned out to be "nothing out of the ordinary," police told Newsweek.

KVUE reporter Pamela Comme had shared a video of the situation on her Twitter page saying that police told people at the factory "everyone needs to leave right now!" A follow-up tweet shows advice telling workers to "take cover."

In the video footage, workers are seen running outside the factory in Austin as a police car drives up to the building.

In the follow-up tweet, Comme shared an image of a message a Tesla worker received on their phone.

The message was titled "Advisory Message: Active attacker-Giga Factory, Texas, Austin" and was received at 4:59 A.M. (local time).

It said: "There is an active attacker near column location 35Z at the Giga Factory Texas. Please take cover and stand by for further details."

Kristen Dark, the Senior Public Information Officer for the Travis County Sheriff's Office told Newsweek the incident had been resolved.

"TCSO responded to a 911 call reporting an active shooter in the Tesla factory. We responded with a large law enforcement presence and have completely cleared the facility," she said. "Deputies found nothing out of the ordinary; no casualties, no sounds of gunfire, nothing to substantiate the presence of a shooter at all.

"We have closed the incident and deputies are leaving the campus."

Comme updated her Twitter page to state that hundreds of workers had returned to the factory.

In another tweet, she noted that an exit to get onto the adjacent Tesla Road was open again and traffic was being allowed through.

Newsweek has contacted the Austin Police Department and Tesla via email for comment and additional information.

Earlier this month, police in Georgia had to deal with an incident at a manufacturing plant in which an employee was shot.

Coweta County Sheriff officials said deputies had received reports of an employee being shot by another employee, according to a WSB-TV report.

The shooter was identified as 46-year-old Sylvester Florence, Jr. The victim was not publicly identified but was a supervisor at the plant.

When police arrived they were told that Florence had barricaded himself in the building, which was subsequently evacuated.

Deputies later learned that Florence may have fled the scene on a motorcycle. After ditching the motorcycle Florence attempted to flee on foot but was captured and arrested.

Update 07/28/23, 8:43 A.M. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Travis County Sheriff's Office, additional information and a new video.