Three people were killed in a shooting at the U.S. Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va., on Thursday night, officials said.
The assailant shot and killed two others and then himself in the barracks area of the Officer Candidates School campus, Marine Corps spokesman Sgt. Christopher Zahn said early Friday. It remained unclear whether the victims and the shooter were civilians or Marines, Zahn added.
The shooting was reported at around 11 p.m. ET on Thursday. Prince William County Sheriff’s Department officers and military police responded to the scene.
The base had been under lockdown after the incident, but its status early Friday returned to “Code Green,” meaning operations were normal, according to the base website.
A message posted on Quantico’s Facebook page had earlier had told residents to remain in their homes with their doors locked.
Quantico is about 40 miles south of Washington in the Northern Virginia suburbs.
The Officer Candidates School calls itself “the first proving ground for future Marine officers.” Its graduates attain the rank of 2nd lieutenant.
It has a reputation for being challenging.
“The mission of OCS is to train, screen and evaluate candidates, who must demonstrate a high level of leadership potential and commitment to success in order to earn a commission,” the Marine Corps says on the school’s website. “Officer Candidates School training will be more demanding than any you’ve experienced before, regardless of commissioning program.”
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article courtesy of nbcnews.com
