A CIVILIAN Navy employee has been accused of staging an active shooting hoax and sparking a tense, hour-long lockdown at a military base.
Malika Brittingham allegedly caused servicemembers to run for cover at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey by sending an eerie text message on Tuesday morning.
A lockdown was sparked at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey after an active shooting hoax[/caption]
The base announced the lockdown at 11 am local time, but an hour later, officials said that a threat was never identified.
Now, prosecutors have said that Brittingham caused the terrifying ordeal by sending a text message claiming there was an active shooter.
She said that she was hiding in a closet with her coworkers after hearing five or six shots, a criminal complaint seen by CBS affiliate KYW-TV alleges.
At first, when she was asked about the message, she denied knowing about it, prosecutors say.
However, later, Brittingham allegedly admitted to authorities that she had sent the text to “trauma bond” with her coworkers.
She said she had committed the sick act because she had felt “ostracized,” prosecutors say.
The disturbing text message forced 42,000 service members, relatives, and civilian employees to run for cover as the worried public watched on.
The base did not explain the source of the lockdown in an eerie announcement made on social media.
New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy also alerted residents of the incident and wrote on X, “If you are on the base, please follow the instructions of your commanders and emergency response officials.”
Several employees described the mind-racing panic they felt after getting the order.
Regina Sunday told WABC that she “ran in the bathroom because I was too afraid.”
Dwayne Brooks described the base as “nice” and “calm,” saying, “We don’t need all that here.”
New Jersey’s US Attorney vowed to seek justice after learning the incident was a hoax.
This came after an Army sergeant allegedly shot five soldiers at a base in Georgia just last month.
“After everything this country has gone through, especially in light of current events, I will be sure to bring down the hammer of the law for anyone found guilty of creating unnecessary panic and undermining public trust,” wrote the US Attorney.
Brittingham has been charged with knowingly conveying false and misleading information related to the use of firearms at a federal facility.
It’s unclear whether she’s retained an attorney.
