WASHINGTON (AP) – A Pentagon police officer died after being stabbed to death Tuesday during an outbreak of violence in an off-building transit center, and a suspect was shot dead by law enforcement and died on the scene, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
The Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military, was temporarily locked after someone attacked the officer on a bus platform shortly after 10:30 a.m. Kusse, the head of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, which is responsible for security at the facility.
The officer and suspect’s deaths were first confirmed by officials who were not empowered to discuss the matter and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Fairfax County Police also tweeted their condolences on the officer’s death. The officials assume that two passers-by were injured.
The suspect has been identified by multiple law enforcement as Austin William Lanz, 27, of Georgia.
The officer was attacked by Lanz, who ran towards him and stabbed him in the neck, according to two of the police officers. The officers who responded then shot Lanz. Investigators were still trying to pinpoint a motive for the attack, digging into Lanz’s background, including possible mental illness or reasons for targeting the Pentagon or the police.
The officers were unable to publicly discuss the investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.
Lanz had joined the US Marine Corps in October 2012, but was “administratively separated” less than a month later and never received the title Marine, the Corps said in a statement.
According to online court records, Lanz was arrested in Cobb County, Georgia in April for trespassing and burglary. On the same day, a separate criminal case was initiated against Lanz with six additional charges, including two charges of increased police violence, one charge of terrorist threats and one charge of rioting in a correctional facility, according to the files.
A judge reduced his bail to $ 30,000 in May and released him, imposing a number of conditions, including not using illegal drugs and undergoing a mental examination. The charges against him were still pending. A spokesman for the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Lanz had previously been held in the agency’s detention center, but referred all other questions to the FBI’s Washington branch.
A lawyer representing Lanz in the Georgia cases did not immediately respond to a phone message and email requesting comment and messages left with family members at Lanz’s home in the Acworth suburb of Atlanta, Georgia , were not returned immediately.
Tuesday’s attack on a busy section of the Washington area’s transportation system dangled the nerves of a region already on high alert for violence and potential intruders outside government buildings, especially after the January 6 riots at the Capitol.
At a Pentagon press conference, Kusse declined to confirm the official’s killing or even to provide basic information about how the violence had unfolded or how many could be dead. All he would say was that an officer had been attacked and that “shots were exchanged”.
Kusse and other officials declined to rule out terrorism or indicate any other potential motive. But Kusse said the Pentagon complex is safe and “we are not currently actively looking for another suspect”. He said the FBI was investigating.
“I cannot jeopardize the ongoing investigation,” said Kusse.
The FBI only confirmed that it was investigating and that there was “no ongoing threat to the public” but declined to provide details or a possible motive.
Later on Tuesday, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency issued a statement confirming the officer’s loss, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed condolences, saying that flags are being hoisted with a half baton at the Pentagon.
“This fallen officer died on duty and helped protect the tens of thousands of people who work and visit the Pentagon every day,” Austin said in a statement. “This tragic death today is a clear reminder of the dangers they face and the sacrifices they make. We are forever grateful for this service and the courage with which it is rendered. “
The violence on Tuesday occurred on a metro bus platform that is part of the Pentagon Transit Center, a hub for subway and bus routes. The station is steps from the Pentagon Building, which is located in Arlington County, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington.
An Associated Press reporter near the building heard several gunshots, then a pause, then at least one more shot. Another AP journalist heard the police shout “Shooter”.
A notice from the Pentagon said the facility was locked, but that was lifted after noon, with the exception of the area around the crime scene.
Austin and General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were at the White House meeting with President Joe Biden at the time of the shooting. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Austin returned to the building and went to the Pentagon Police Operations Center to speak to officers there.
It was not immediately clear whether additional security measures could be taken in the area.
In 2010, two Pentagon Force Protection Agency officers were wounded when an armed man approached them in a security checkpoint area. The officers who survived returned fire and fatally wounded the shooter identified as John Patrick Bedell.
—————
Contributors to this report were Associated Press authors Colleen Long and Michael Biesecker in Washington, and Matthew Barakat and Sagar Meghani in Arlington, Virginia.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in any way without permission.
