News

Security Guard Shot At U.S. Census Bureau Building

by Celia Darrough

On Thursday afternoon, a security guard was shot at the U.S. Census Bureau headquarters in Suitland, Maryland, about one mile outside of Washington, D.C, The Washington Post reports. Fire department spokesman Mark Brady said the man, whose name has not yet been released, is in "extremely critical" condition. The security guard was standing outside the gate to the headquarters on Silver Hill Road. It's not yet clear how the shooting occurred, but the man suffered at least one gunshot wound to his upper body, Brady said. He was taken to a local hospital.

According to police spokesman Jarriel Jordan, the Federal Bureau of Investigations is assisting in the investigation, and there are no descriptions yet available of the suspect. The Washington Post reports that all entrances to the Census Bureau campus were shut down, and both local and federal emergency responders were involved.

NBC Washington reports that the gunman is barricaded in the headquarters. According to WNEW, the local CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., there's a large police and SWAT presence currently at the headquarters. NBC says initial reports claim the gunman rammed the gates of the Census Bureau campus. At some point, NBC reports, the gunman fled from the guard and then allegedly shot him in the chest or abdomen area.

The U.S. Census Bureau headquarters is home to somewhere around 5,000 employees.

A reporter for WNEW wrote on Twitter that several shots were heard from a parking garage not long after the security guard was shot. You can hear the shots in the video below.