False active shooter report triggers lockdown at MDL; civilian charged

A lockdown at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County, New Jersey, on Tuesday morning that prompted a large-scale response and temporary school closures was caused by a false report of an active shooter, officials said. The alert began at about 10:58 a.m. and was lifted roughly an hour later after investigators determined there was no threat to the public and a civilian employee was charged in connection with the hoax.

Base officials initially ordered personnel to shelter in place and to take cover after receiving reports of an active shooter. In a message announcing the end of the incident, base officials posted, "ALL CLEAR. All personnel are to resume normal operations." Law enforcement and emergency personnel responded to the scene and conducted interviews and a review of communications as part of the inquiry.

According to a federal criminal complaint, the alert originated from a text message sent at 10:14 a.m. by Malika Brittingham, a U.S. Navy civilian assigned to an office work center at the base. The complaint says Brittingham told a recipient she heard five or six gunshots and that she was hiding in a closet with coworkers. The recipient then contacted the...