Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 16 February 2018

2 freed after shots fired at SUV in NSA campus confrontation

By BRIAN WITTE were caused by bullets.
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — Authorities have not re-
Two of the three people leased the names of any
who were in a sport utility of the individuals involved.
vehicle that was stopped Gordon Johnson, special
and fired upon when it agent in charge of the
tried to enter the National FBI's Baltimore field office,
Security Agency cam- said at a Wednesday af-
pus without authorization ternoon news conference
have been released, an FBI that they were male, but
spokesman said Thursday. didn't release ages. The
NSA police turned over the NSA campus in a suburban
other person to the Howard area edged by woods out-
County Sheriff's Office, be- side the nation's capital sits
cause he was wanted on by a highway with an exit
allegations of being behind specifically designated for
on child support payments, NSA employees. But drivers
said Dave Fitz, the spokes- have taken the wrong exit
man for the FBI's Baltimore before and ended up at
field office. the tightly secured gates.
The man, Javonte Alhajie Most motorists then careful-
Brown, 24, was expect- ly follow the orders of heav-
ed to be released some- ily armed federal officers
time Thursday, said Dep- and turn around without
uty Christopher Adams, a Fort Meade gate next to the The National Security Agency is seen Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018, in getting into further trouble.
spokesman for the sheriff's Fort Meade, Md. One person was wounded in a shooting Wednesday morning outside the Na- But in early 2015, two peo-
office. tional Security Agency campus at Fort Meade. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) ple were shot by NSA po-
Fitz said that the FBI inves- lice when they disobeyed
tigation is ongoing to de- ing the theory that the vehi- ment. "Our investigation arrival at the NSA's campus orders outside the heavily
termine why the black SUV cle made a wrong turn and continues and we do not prompted shots to be fired secured campus. One driv-
carrying the three people ended up at the NSA gate. see a nexus to terrorism. "FBI at the vehicle Wednesday er died at the scene after
tried to enter a top-secret "The FBI continues to be- investigators left the scene morning. The driver was NSA police opened fire on
intelligence site at Fort lieve that yesterday's en- Wednesday evening, Fitz hospitalized, though NSA the stolen sports utility vehi-
Meade. counter was an isolated said. and FBI officials say they cle. Authorities said the oc-
Investigators are consider- incident," Fitz said in a state- The unauthorized vehicle's don't believe any injuries cupants had stolen a car
from a man who picked
Police: them up for a party at a
motel. An NSA police offi-
Man's meth lab caused fire in casino hotel room cer and a civilian onlooker
also were injured in the inci-
dent Wednesday. Both re-
By WAYNE PARRY ter the fire was detected. contained to the room on few rooms were affected quired hospital treatment,
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) The hotel worker's con- the 44th floor of the casino's by the fire. Hotel rooms but their injuries were not
— Police in New Jersey dition was not available west tower where the fire have been professionally life-threatening, Johnson
charged a man with setting Thursday. Police charged occurred. A State Police inspected, and cleared to said. Authorities did not say
up a methamphetamine Michael Pillar, of Whiting, hazardous-materials team go back online tomorrow." how they were injured.
lab that caused a fire in an with maintaining a drug dismantled the lab. Steve The fire was reported at Wednesday's incident be-
Atlantic City casino hotel production facility, posses- Callender, the Tropicana's 9:47 a.m. when a bed and gan about 6:55 a.m. when
room, leading four floors to sion of methamphetamine general manager, said the the room’s bathroom was the SUV tried to enter the
be evacuated. Wednes- and criminal mischief. It's area is safe to inhabit, and on fire. Fire Chief Scott Ev- spy agency's campus.
day's fire at the Tropicana unclear if Pillar, who was the affected rooms will be ans said a hotel employee While Johnson declined
casino injured two people being held in the Atlantic available Friday. "The safe- used a fire extinguisher to to give details about who
— the man who rented the County Jail following his re- ty of our guests and em- put out the blaze, adding opened fire, he said prelim-
room and later was arrest- lease from the hospital, is ployees is our number one the building’s sprinkler sys- inarily indications are that
ed and a hotel employee represented by a lawyer. priority at Tropicana Atlan- tem helped prevent the fire all gunfire was directed to-
who entered the room af- Damage from the fire was tic City," he said. "Only a from spreading.q ward the vehicle. q