There were reports of an active shooter incident at Walter Reed hospital today which confused and frightened people. Officials later clarified that the situation was only a drill. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger was at the hospital when the reports first went out and tweeted this:

I am currently at Walter Reed Medical in Bethesda where we've been told there is an active shooter. I am currently safe in a conference room w/ approx 40 others.

— Dutch Ruppersberger (@Call_Me_Dutch) November 27, 2018

People inside were sheltering in place:

Scariest hour of my life at Walter Reed. Sheltered in the package room at the post office in the hospital. pic.twitter.com/o4rimaecWR

— Tiffany | Angelle Media (@TiffAngelle) November 27, 2018

Inside Walter Reed right now after the active shooter announcement. Was looking on Twitter for news and it's filled with people questioning the safety of their loved ones. Building 19 in lockdown. Haven't heard any shots. Multiple agencies responding. Hopefully false alarm. pic.twitter.com/xNDKyEuN56

— Dr. Lindsey Migliore (@DrMigliore) November 27, 2018

Montgomery County police said they were responding to the incident:

MCP has been called to assist with the report of a possible active shooter at the Walter Reed Nat Mil Med Ctr located at 8901 Rockville Pike. More information will be released as it is confirmed. Call received to assist – 2:23 pm.

— Montgomery County Department of Police (@mcpnews) November 27, 2018

Local news reporters were reporting it as an active shooter situation:

NSA Naval Support: Initial report of shots was from Building 19 in the basement. That area is cleared. Now working to clear other buildings. #WalterReed is on lockdown. No one in, no one out until the campus is cleared. So far NO INDICATION of a shooter. @WTOP

— Megan Cloherty (@ClohertyWTOP) November 27, 2018

Update: An official at Walter Reed said there was a report of an active shooter in the basement of the America Building. First responders cleared the basement and found no shooter. They cleared the rest of the building out of an abundance of caution. https://t.co/izjtv952fY

— NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) November 27, 2018

(5) ⚠️ Talking w/ someone who claims to be inside building 19 at Walter Reed:
“The doctors (including mine) proceeded to gather the near by patients and we were told to go into this room. At first, the doctors didn't seem frantic until we found out that it is not a drill. @wusa9

— Adam Longo (@adamlongoTV) November 27, 2018

But authorities eventually said the entire situation was a drill:

PENTAGON PRESS OFFICE confirms no active shooter at #walterreed, it was just an training exercise @wusa9

— Janice Park (@JaniceparkNews) November 27, 2018

The Washinton Post reports it was an “ad hoc drill.”

About an hour after a report of an incident at Walter Reed Authorities brought police swarming to the facility Tuesday afternoon for a possible active shooter , the U.S. Navy said the event was “an ad hoc drill” by the command there.

Not everyone was pleased with that explanation:

We've been given the all clear at Walter Reed – at no point was there any indication that this was a drill.

— Dutch Ruppersberger (@Call_Me_Dutch) November 27, 2018

Naval Support Activity, which responded to the incident, described it as a false alarm:

Security responded and cleared the building, finding no indication of an active shooter.

After investigating the call and the origin, NSA Bethesda has determined that this was a false alarm and not part of a scheduled drill as has been reported.

2/2

— Naval Support Activity Bethesda (@nsabethesda) November 27, 2018

And one of the people trapped inside said they had no idea it was a drill and that it was described to her as a mistake:

PA system at #WalterReedMedicalCenter repeatedly said “Code white. This is not a drill.” For 1 hour we thought there was an #activeshooter situation. Incident Officers alluded that it was a mistake and not a drill. #walterreed

— Tiffany | Angelle Media (@TiffAngelle) November 27, 2018

How does all of this make sense? The Hill reports that this was in fact a drill that was intended to take place in a part of the hospital that was empty but, for some reason, security wasn’t notified in advance:

A Navy official told The Hill that it was a scheduled active shooter exercise by tenant command of NSAB, in a section of the hospital where there are no patients.

The tenant command did not notify the installation of the exercise ahead of the drill, which took place in Building 19, or the America Building.

The official said the building’s security would normally be notified but were not this time. They could not give a reason for why Walter Reed personnel were not informed.

Obviously, it’s a relief that this wasn’t a genuine active shooter incident, but I think Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin is right that someone owes the people who were terrified about what was happening an apology:

The patients and wounded vets who were barricaded in their rooms and the families who couldn't reach them are owed an apology. We spoke to off'ls at Walter Reed who had NO IDEA it was a drill, confirming to us it was "a Code White, lock down" due to "reports of active shooter." https://t.co/ntiugWr8W9

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) November 27, 2018