Tesla Workers Flee Austin Gigafactory Over 'Active Attacker,' Video Shows

Video footage shows Tesla workers fleeing a factory in Austin, Texas, after reports claimed there was an active attacker on the site this morning.

However, Kristen Dark, the Senior Public Information Officer for the Travis County Sheriff's Office told Newsweek the incident had been resolved and "nothing out of the ordinary" had been found.

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

According to Pamela Comme, a reporter from local television station KVUE, workers received an email from the Tesla Alert System at 4:59 a.m. local time Friday titled "Advisory Message: Active attacker-Giga Factory, Texas, Austin." The message read: "There is an Active Attacker near column location 35Z at the Giga Factory Texas. Please take cover and stand by for further details."

Comme posted a video to Twitter showing people running from the site and sirens sounding as police approach the scene. People can be heard shouting throughout the nine-second clip. She reported in the tweet that police said: "Everyone needs to leave right now."

Fox3News reported several law enforcement organizations reacting to the incident.

Further reporting from the scene indicated no threat to life at the factory, and Tesla Road, the main route to the factory, has reopened after temporarily being closed earlier this morning.

Comme reported: "The exit to get onto Tesla Road is back open. Cars are going through, and workers seem to be entering the Tesla Gigafactory."

The reporter also clarified that "employees have been given the all-clear to re-enter the gigafactory."

Newsweek has contacted Austin Police Department for updates on the situation.

In another tweet, Comme reported: "The sun came up and everything seems to slowly be going back to normal at the Tesla Gigafactory. There are still so many questions that need to be answered."

The factory—known as Giga Texas—is located to the east of Austin, around 15 miles from the city center, and is Tesla's global headquarters, according to its website.

The site is "2,500 acres along the Colorado River with over 10 million square feet of factory floor," the Tesla website says.

The plant is the manufacturing home in the U.S. of the Tesla Model Y car.

Update 7/28/23, 9:34 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to say that no active attacker was found and with further details.