A lockdown at a Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas, was lifted after initial reports of an armed suspect turned out to be incorrect, officials said.
"THIS IS NOT A DRILL. Shelter in place. Base on lockdown," a Naval Air Station Corpus Christi said before 8 a.m. local time.
A short time later, an updated post said a suspect had been taken into custody. An official at the base said the armed suspect was reported to be near an army depot building on base.
The lockdown was lifted less than an hour after it was announced.
And later in the day, officials concluded that the threat was a verbal one made by a civilian employee — and that no weapon was involved, base spokeswoman Fifi Kieschnick told NBC News.
"Installation security forces responded promptly and effectively, and apprehended the suspect for questioning without injury," according to a base statement. "Security forces swept and cleared the scene, and once it was deemed safe, the lockdown was lifted and the gates were reopened to normal traffic."
NAS Corpus Christi Commanding Officer Capt. Chris Jason said "recent incidents" were on his mind when the lockdown was ordered.
“The safety of our employees and families, and of our surrounding community, is my top priority," Jason said in a statement.
“We are keenly aware of the recent incidents at other naval installations and we train diligently to respond to such situations. I am very proud of the prompt response from our Navy and Army Security Forces, and I am grateful for the outstanding support provided by local and federal law enforcement.”
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi was also placed on lockdown due to the incident, but a tweet from the school said the situation posed no risk to campus.
The lockdown and arrest come after two recent shootings at Navy bases.
Three people were killed and several people were injured at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida on Friday when a member of the Saudi Air Force opened fire in a classroom building. The gunman was also killed in the incident. The Navy said Wednesday's incident and the Pensacola shooting do not appear to be related.
Also last week, a U.S. sailor fatally shot two civilian Defense Department employees and wounded a third at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii before killing himself, according to military officials.
