On Tuesday, a federal government worker was detained in connection with a hoax concerning an active shooter that led to a lockdown at New Jersey’s largest military facility earlier in the day, as stated by Alina Habba, the state’s acting U.S. attorney.
In a social media message shared Tuesday evening, Habba announced that the civilian employee, whose name has not been disclosed, was in custody after “conveying false information regarding an active shooter at Joint Base McGuire.”
This extensive base, recognized as one of the largest military installations in the nation, was locked down on Tuesday morning.
A statement from the base’s official Facebook page urged personnel to shelter in place.
No details about the specific nature of the threat were provided in the statement.
The lockdown ended just before noon, which was less than an hour after it had been put into effect.
Habba’s message did not provide specifics regarding the employee’s actions but referred to them, using capital letters, as “suspected in…today’s active shooter hoax.”
An inquiry sent via email to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey did not receive an immediate response.
“This type of baseless fear-mongering and disruption will not be tolerated in my state,” Habba stated. “Given everything this country has experienced, particularly regarding current events, I will ensure that those found guilty of instigating unnecessary panic and eroding public trust face the full consequences of the law.”
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is one of the largest military bases in the United States.
Covering 42,000 acres, it integrates Air Force, Army, and Navy operations, serving over 42,000 personnel, their families, and civilian staff.
Located about 18 miles south of Trenton, the state capital, and approximately 30 miles east of Philadelphia, the base is strategically important.
This incident occurred on the same day that U.S. military leaders were convened at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had called them together to announce a mandate to end “woke” culture within the military.
Recent years have seen increased violence at military installations, prompting heightened concerns about security.
Just last month, an Army sergeant faced criminal charges for shooting five fellow soldiers at a base in Georgia.
Other shooting incidents have ranged from personal disputes among service members to base assaults and mass-casualty tragedies, including the infamous 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, which left 13 individuals dead.
