Lockdown at Fort Lee concludes after soldier shoots self

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- A soldier shot herself in the head at Fort Lee in central Virginia on Monday morning, prompting reports of an "active shooter" and a brief lockdown of the U.S. Army installation.

"Fort Lee first responders responded to a report of a female Soldier with a gun inside the Combined Arms Support Command Headquarters, Bldg. 5020 at approximately 9 a.m. today," Fort Lee wrote via Facebook.

"Early reports indicate the Soldier turned the weapon on herself and fired one shot, injuring herself. The Soldier was transported Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. Her condition is not known at this time."

The U.S. Army declined to identify the soldier but at a press conference, the commanding general at Fort Lee, Maj. Gen. Stephen Lyons described her as a sergeant first class with 14 years of service in the Army, including a 15-month deployment to Iraq in 2007. She had been assigned to Fort Lee for nearly three years.

Lyons said that the unidentified soldier was "upset and enraged" when she walked into the building on Monday morning, but did not elaborate on her mental condition or motivation.

Fort Lee police were in communication with her after she entered the building with a small-caliber handgun. The soldier barricaded herself in an office, exhibited "irate actions" throwing things and going on a "bit of a rampage."

"They thought that they had achieved a calm level of negotiations only to find out that that was not the case," Lyons noted.

But then she shot herself. No other injuries were reported.

"We are sad for our soldier in arms that she faced those kind of challenges that she felt that she had to resort to those kinds of actions," said Lyons, adding "At the same time we're grateful because this situation could have been worse."

An investigation led by Special Agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command is underway.

Around 9:30 a.m., Fort Lee announced via social media there was a reported shooter at the CASCOM Headquarters Building and directed personnel to shelter in place until further notice. The "all clear" was issued by the operations center at 9:50 a.m., with Fort Lee concluding "The law enforcement event is over."