September 16, 2013:

“A lone gunman, who had a security clearance, entered the Navy Yard’s Building 97 and began shooting randomly. Eventually, he worked his way to an overlook within the building and on to cubicle-filled office floors. The gunman entered the building at 8:15 a.m. and was declared dead at 11:50 a.m., after killing 12 victims.

Unexpected challenges quickly emerged. Dispatchers struggled to match street names and the address of the building because of separate databases. Communications were disrupted in part due to the design of the building. Emergency plans had not been exercised at the Navy Yard, according to a Navy investigative report on the shooting.

Washington, D.C. agencies responded and worked side by side searching the cavernous office floors where responders faced myriad challenges in their pursuit of the attacker and care of the victims.” — CHDS Alums at Forefront of Navy Yard Response, Collaboration

Related Resources:

• CHDS Alumni Response: CHDS Alums at Forefront of Navy Yard Response, Collaboration
• Internal Review of the Washington Navy Yard Shooting: A Report to the Secretary of Defense
• Department of the Navy (DoN) List of Actions as a Result of the Washington Navy Yard Shooting on Sept. 16, 2013
• Report of the Investigation into the Fatal Shooting Incident at the Washington Navy Yard on September 16, 2013 And Associated Security, Personnel, and Contracting Policies and Practices
• Final Recommendations of the Washington Navy Yard Shooting Internal and Independent Reviews
• Security from Within: Independent Review of the Washington Navy Yard Shooting
• After Action Report: Washington Navy Yard September 16, 2013: Internal Review of the Metropolitan Police Department Washington, D.C.
• Federal Building and Facility Security: Frequently Asked Questions
• HSDL In Focus: Active Shooters
• HSDL search results for “Navy Yard Shooting”

Photo: A Naval District of Washington police vehicle blocks the main gate of the Washington Navy Yard — the day after the Washington Navy Yard shootings on September 16, 2013, in Washington, D.C., in the United States. — Tim Evanson