Montana Air Force Base Active Shooter Alert: What We Know

Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana was under lockdown Thursday because of an active shooter threat, the base said.

The lockdown was lifted at around 12:40 p.m. local time, according to an update of an earlier Facebook post from the base. It said no confirmed shots were fired and no deaths or injuries were reported.

The Context

Gun violence remains a prevalent problem in America. Last year, there were 43,065 gun deaths in the country: 18,975 gun deaths related to homicide and 24,090 related to suicide, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.

On Wednesday, a mass shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, followed a celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl win. A mother of two was killed, and 22 people, half of whom were under 16, were injured.

What We Know

The military base near the city of Great Falls was placed on lockdown at around 10:30 a.m. local time "in response to an active shooter alert on base," Malmstrom Air Force Base wrote in the Facebook post.

In an update to the post, the base said that the threat was at Building 219. "Air Force and emergency personnel are securing the area," the base said.

Malmstrom officials advised people to avoid the building, writing in the post: "Public cooperation will help protect against possible injuries and enable base agencies to more effectively deal with the situation."

FPCON Delta was implemented at around 10:36 a.m., but it was later dropped to an FPCON Bravo around 12:40 p.m., local time. FPCON, or Force Protection Levels, is a threat awareness system for danger involving military bases and operations. FPCON Delta is the fifth and most serious force protection level, while FPCON Bravo is the third force protection level.

All schools east and south of the Missouri River were under a shelter in place order as of 11:10 a.m. local time.

The Views

Gun violence is a hot-button issue among Americans in this election year. While gun rights advocates talk about preserving Second Amendment freedoms, gun control activists want to curb the number of gun deaths in the country.

The situation at Malmstrom Air Force Base was monitored by Montana elected officials, including Senator Jon Tester, Governor Greg Gianforte and Representative Matt Rosendale.

Rosendale wrote on X (formerly Twitter) at 11:40 p.m. local time, "Praying for the safety of those on base and the law enforcement quickly responding to this situation."

What's Next?

Malmstrom Air Force Base said in its latest post, "There is no threat to the public at this time. The investigation into the incident is still ongoing."

A base spokesperson told Newsweek via email on Thursday, "I do not have any updates at this time. Additional details will be released as they become available."

The Great Falls Police Department told Newsweek, "We cannot comment on what occurred on the base."

Newsweek also reached out via email to the Cascade County Sheriff's Office for comment.

Update 2/15/24, 2:59 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information.

Update 2/15/24, 3:27 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and a comment from Malmstrom Air Force Base.

Update 2/15/24, 4:17 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with a comment from the Great Falls Police Department.