Yokota Air Base is home to U.S. Forces Japan and the 5th Air Force in western Tokyo. (Stars and Stripes)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – Reports of a suspected active shooter spurred an 18-minute lockdown Wednesday afternoon at the home of U.S. Forces Japan and the 5th Air Force in western Tokyo.
“REAL WORLD — LOCKDOWN, Yokota Air Base is under LOCKDOWN,” said a text alert sent by the 374th Airlift Wing at about 1:50 p.m. “Last known location: Bldg. 31, O-Club — LOCKDOWN.”
After sweeping the Officer’s Club, security personnel found “no indications of an active shooter and no injuries were reported,” according to a statement issued by the wing.
A message broadcast over Yokota’s Giant Voice public address system at 2:08 p.m. announced that the emergency had ended.
It was the second incident concerning a suspected active shooter at Yokota this year. On May 13, reports of shots fired at or near a westside car-care center locked the installation down for about an hour.
However, security personnel and Japanese police found no evidence of firearms being discharged on or off base at the time, according to the 374th Airlift Wing.
Some sources on base reported the sound may have been caused by a ve-hicle backfiring or special cannons used to scare wildlife away from aircraft, base officials said. The cannons make threatening sounds, such as predator calls or explosions.
kidd.aaron@stripes.com Twitter: @kiddaaro
