Government employee accused of falsely reporting active shooter at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst

1 in custody for false shooter report at Joint Base Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst

Officials say one person is in custody for a false report of an active shooter at Joint Base Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst Tuesday.

TRENTON - A government employee has been arrested for falsely reporting information about an active shooter at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst on Tuesday.

What we know:

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst was placed on lockdown just before 11 a.m. Tuesday for reports of an active shooter. 

Officials instructed those on the base to remain inside, and anyone outside should take cover. 

The McGuire and Fort Dix sections of the base were given the all-clear a short time later, and the Lakehurst campus was cleared a few minutes later.

No active shooter threat was ultimately found, and the base returned to normal operations just before noon.

What they're saying:

 Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Commander Col. Michael Stefanovic said their priority is "the safety and security of everyone on the installation."

"We worked closely with local law enforcement and emergency responders to ensure the situation was investigated and resolved as quickly as possible," he said.

U.S. Attorney Alina Habba reported on Tuesday night that a "civilian employee of the federal government" was placed in custody for falsely reporting the incident.

"A civilian employee of the federal government is in custody for conveying false information regarding an active shooter at Joint Base McGuire," she wrote. 

Habba called the incident "senseless fear-mongering" and promised to "bring down the hammer of the law for anyone found guilty of creating unnecessary panic."

What we know:

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is New Jersey's largest military facility located 20 miles from Trenton and about 40 minutes from Philadelphia.