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Active Shooter Report Prompts Brief Lockdown at Malmstrom Air Force Base
Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana, experienced a temporary lockdown lasting approximately two hours on Thursday following reports of an active shooter.
The base clarified that no shots were fired, and no injuries were reported. The incident prompted a shelter-in-place advisory for nearby schools during the confusion. Malmstrom had initiated a scheduled training exercise, an active shooter response drill, when a real active shooter report emerged at a different location on the base. The lockdown was lifted after authorities determined there was no actual threat.
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Malmstrom spokesperson Staff Sgt. Trevor Rhynes revealed that the active shooter response drill had just commenced when the report of a real-world active shooter surfaced elsewhere on the base at around 10:30 a.m. Base officials swiftly directed individuals to avoid a specific building identified as the potential threat area. Great Falls Police Department provided security and support in the base's vicinity and nearby schools during the incident.
A shelter-in-place advisory was issued for schools in the surrounding community, including recommendations for private schools and daycare facilities to follow the safety measure. The lockdown was lifted approximately two hours later, bringing a resolution to the situation.
The base community had been informed on Tuesday about the scheduled active shooter response drill taking place on Thursday. However, the specific timing of the drill was not disclosed publicly, according to a U.S. defense official speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Malmstrom Air Force Base, with around 4,000 active duty military and civilian personnel, is one of three bases in the U.S. responsible for operating and securing Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. The base regularly conducts security training exercises, simulating breaches and training personnel on reestablishing control in the event of a facility breach. Instances of lockdowns during exercises, as seen in 2017 at Travis Air Force Base in California, highlight the challenges in distinguishing real threats from training scenarios.
