ECSO confirms active shooter at NAS Pensacola; 10 patients transported to hospitals - Pensacola News Journal

Annie Blanks Pensacola News Journal

Published 9:08 AM EST Dec 6, 2019

UPDATE 8:07 a.m. Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh, who works at the NAS Pensacola as a civilian contractor, said he was in line to go through the gate when it was shut down.

“There's probably been 100 or so various law enforcement vehicles zooming down the wrong side on Navy Boulevard,” Bergosh said. “There's been ambulances, fire trucks. It's my understanding there's multiple causalities. I haven't heard of any fatalities yet.”

He received a call from his coworkers who reported being on lockdown inside the base. He said he is stuck in traffic gridlock outside the base.

UPDATE 8:03 a.m. Sacred Heart Hospital has confirmed they're expecting six patients from the active shooter situation on NAS Pensacola. Not all of the patients have arrived yet.

Baptist Hospital has received five patients so far.

St. John's Catholic School, located outside the front of the base, has been closed due to the lockdown.

UPDATE 7:50 a.m. The active shooter at NAS Pensacola has been confirmed dead.

ECSO spokeswoman Amber Southard confirmed the shooter was dead just before 8 a.m. Friday.

Baptist Hospital spokeswoman Kathy Bowers confirmed the hospital has accepted five patients related to the active shooting.

UPDATE 7:30 a.m. A spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff's Office confirmed that authorities are working to "take down" an active shooter on base at NAS Pensacola.

Amber Southard, spokeswoman for the ECSO, said little information is available at the moment, but shots have been fired on base and a heavy law enforcement presence is there to eliminate the threat.

Scanner traffic for Escambia County Fire and Rescue indicated 10 patients are being transported to local hospitals.

Three medical helicopters are in route and several military ambulances have also been seen in the area.

ORIGINAL STORY: An active shooter has been reported at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Jason Bortz, spokesman for NAS Pensacola, confirmed to the News Journal that an active shooter was reported sometime around 7 a.m. Friday. Both gates are closed and the base is on lockdown.

Navy officials and law enforcement are currently investigating the report and are asking members of the public to stay away from base.

We will update this story with more information as it becomes available.

Annie Blanks can be reached at ablanks@pnj.com or 850-435-8632.

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