USA Today Virginia Headquarters Evacuated Following Police Reports of Man With a Weapon

The USA Today headquarters in McLean, Virginia was evacuated on Wednesday following reports of a [...]

By Michael Hein

The USA Today headquarters in McLean, Virginia was evacuated on Wednesday following reports of a man with a weapon at the facility. So far, the outlet has not reported any shots fired, but police in SWAT gear did swarm the scene as in other recent mass shootings.

The U.S. is still reeling from several mass shootings in a row as yet another scary scene takes place on Wednesday. Around 12:30 p.m. ET, reports began to circulate about an emergency evacuation at the USA Today headquarters. The building is in a suburb of Washington, D.C., and workers there posted on social media showing that they did not even know the nature of the emergency at first.

According to USA Today's report from the scene, police arrived at the building shortly after noon on Wednesday. They began herding hundreds of office workers — including those in USA Today's headquarters — outside. The building is located near Capital Beltway, and is home to many other businesses besides the newspaper.

Fairfax County police warned of the situation on Twitter as well. Their post warned of a "man with a weapon at the Gannett Building," but did not specify whether or not he got inside, nor what the weapon was.

Authorities could not immediately provide more details to reporters, though they did offer an update just under an hour later. With a picture of the crowded parking lot, police tweeted that they are "working to investigate this reported threat."

"Officers are currently working to clear the building," the post went on. "At this time, we have found no evidence of any acts of violence or injuries."

The lack of injuries or even shots fired was the most heartening detail to many as the reports began to spread. CNN reporter Brian Stelter noted this encouraging fact on Twitter on Wednesday. However, the police response does indicate a potentially dangerous emergency.

"So far, there is NO report that any shots were fired at Gannett's headquarters. Police are responding to a report of a man with a weapon. The USA Today newsroom has evacuated."

In the meantime, those inside the building have posted pictures and videos of their abrupt evacuation, and the heavily-armored police that greeted them outside. This evacuation comes on the heels of two tragic mass shootings over the weekend — one in El Paso, Texas and one in Dayton, Ohio.

The two attacks were about 12 hours apart, and took 31 lives between them. Many are now calling louder than ever for the solution to the issue of mass shootings, though as always they debate the causes and how to fix them.

Check back for updates on the situation in McLean, Virginia.

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