Naval Academy lockdown: Midshipman shot amid confusion, investigation underway

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A lockdown at the U.S. Naval Academy Thursday night sparked confusion and fear after reports of an active shooter led to a massive law enforcement response and one midshipman being shot and injured.

Officials now say the incident was a false alarm. 

The lockdown began just after 5 p.m., when Naval Support Activity Annapolis and local police began clearing Bancroft Hall, the academy’s dormitory. Rumors spread that a midshipman who had been kicked off campus had returned with a weapon and was impersonating military police, knocking on doors.

Around 6 p.m., witnesses reported hearing gunshots inside Bancroft Hall. Cameras captured video of a person being carried out on a stretcher and flown by medevac to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), a member of the academy’s Board of Visitors, confirmed the midshipman was shot in the confusion and is expected to make a full recovery.

"Tensions are really high, and the midshipmen of this generation grew up their entire lives in the presence and reality of school shootings," Elfreth said. "I grew up, I remember watching Columbine on television, so this is very real and visceral for them, as it is for parents."

According to a U.S. Naval Academy source, a former midshipman allegedly sent threatening messages online while spoofing a campus IP address, prompting a lockdown and confusion over his whereabouts. Information surfaced that suggested he may have been posing as a law enforcement officer, leading a current midshipman to mistakenly attack an actual officer during the response. The officer then fired in self-defense.

Public visitation at the Naval Academy is closed Friday as officials launched their investigation. Elfreth said she will work with the House Armed Services Committee to ensure lessons are learned.

The incident comes amid a surge of false threats and bomb scares at campuses across the country, including HBCUs and state government offices in Maryland.