One intruder arrested at Joint Base Andrews in security breach moments after Kamala Harris’ departure
Two individuals fled the vehicle, and one them is still at large, say officials
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Your support makes all the difference.Officials at the Joint Base Andrews arrested one of the two armed intruders who caused a security breach at the military base on Sunday shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris and several cabinet members arrived there.
"At approximately 9pm today, one vehicle drove through the security checkpoint and failed to adhere to commands of security personnel at the Main Gate on Joint Base Andrews, Maryland,” officials from the military base said in a statement.
Confirming the arrest of one of the intruders, a 17-year-old boy, officials said: “The 316 Security Forces Group immediately deployed the barriers and stopped the vehicle. Two individuals fled the vehicle, and one was apprehended by 316th SFG.”
The other intruder who managed to escape on foot is still at large, the officials said.
Following a search lasting for hours, officials said the individual who got away was believed to be in the area surrounding the base. The main gate was opened at 3am.
No shots were fired and there are no immediate reports of injuries and casualties.
Colonel Tyler Schaff said that he was “incredibly proud of the quick actions of our Defenders to immediately deploy the barriers to stop last night’s stolen vehicle and then apprehend one of the individuals that had a weapon. The Defenders handled the intense situation with discipline and calm professionalism”.
The Maryland security base Joint Base Andrews, from where Ms Harris and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, had just taken off, was sealed off, according to reports.
The couple left the military base for the Naval Observatory on Marine Two after which the site was locked down, NPR’s White House correspondent Scott Detrow initially tweeted.
The vice president and several cabinet members had just landed at the military base after a trip to Selma for a “Bloody Sunday” anniversary event, Mr Detrow said in a tweet.
"[The] Guards stopped the shuttle reporters take from the terminal. They had rifles out and searched our van," Mr Detrow, who is a part of the press pool reporter for the vice president, said.
Ms Harris was accompanied by four cabinet secretaries.
All four secretaries — transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, housing secretary Marcia L Fudge, education secretary Miguel Cardona and environmental protection agency administrator Michael Regan — left the base early, the White House said around 9.40pm.
The base was locked down moments after 9.30pm.
President Joe Biden was not present at the Joint Base Andrews at the time of security breach as he had travelled directly to the White House from Delaware via a helicopter.
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