Woman soldier dies after causing US army base lockdown

Washington, Aug 26 (IANS/EFE) A woman soldier who sparked an "active shooter" alert on a US military base in Virginia Monday, died after shooting herself in the head, military sources said.

The soldier was pronounced dead several hours after being admitted to the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Centre, after barricading herself in an office at the Fort Lee Army base.

She ultimately shot herself with the pistol she was carrying.

The soldier, who has not yet been publicly identified, reportedly did not harm anybody during her morning rampage in an office in a four-storey building on the base, over 200 km from Washington.

Major General Stephen R. Lyons, the commanding general of the support command, said the soldier was a sergeant 1st class who had been in the army for 14 years and stationed at Fort Lee for three years.

The base was put on lockdown while the soldier was barricaded on the third floor of the complex housing the Army's Combined Arms Support Command, where about 1,100 people were working at the time, Fort Lee authorities said.

Those inside the building either evacuated or took shelter in their offices and Fort Lee police responded within two minutes of being informed that there was an active shooter on the base, a statement released by Fort Lee said.

--IANS/EFE

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